Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza has candidly discussed his difficult relationship with former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, revealing that their strained connection played a significant role in his decision to leave the club, Soccernet.football reports.
Mingueza, now thriving at Celta Vigo, joined the Galician side in 2022 after departing Barcelona.
Since the move, the 24-year-old has firmly established himself as one of La Liga’s top right-backs.
This season, he has contributed two goals and five assists to Celta’s cause, with his impressive performances earning him a return to the Spanish national team for the first time since 2021.
Despite his recent success, Mingueza’s time at Barcelona was marked by challenges, with his relationship with Xavi at the heart of his struggles.
Speaking recently to TV3 (via DiarioSPORT), Mingueza opened up about the difficulties he faced under the former Barcelona star.
“When Xavi arrived, we weren’t in good shape, maybe he didn’t like me or something. He told me I would play 10 games. I don’t think he had the best mentality in the world, that’s why I left Barcelona,” Mingueza confessed.
“I trained for the sake of training, I played for the sake of playing. I left Barcelona to try to get the motivation to play, enjoy, and improve my performance again,” he continued.
Mingueza made the move to Celta Vigo in search of more game time and personal growth, a decision that has paid off with 76 competitive appearances since his departure from the Camp Nou.
Despite his difficult departure, Mingueza’s future is still closely linked with Barcelona.
The club retains 50% of the player’s rights, which gives them the option to re-sign him for just €10 million. However, Celta Vigo are reportedly keen to purchase his full rights to avoid losing him on a discounted transfer.