Lecce fan labels Barcelona flop Samuel Umtiti a ‘messiah,’ says the Ligue 1 club ‘wouldn’t have stayed up’ without him
The World Cup winner is looking to get his career back on track.
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Samuel Umtiti got praised by a legendary Lecce FC player. (credits to Twitter)
Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has found himself a fan at his new club Lecce in Italy as an Ultra member showered him with praises. Pinuccio Milli, a revered member of the Lecce Ultras believes that Umtiti is the “best player in Lecce’s history.”
After joining Barcelona in 2016, Umtiti had become a mainstay at the club for the better part of a decade for the Catalan giants. However, since Xavi took charge of the club, Umtiti fell rapidly out of favor. Earlier this season, Umtiti joined Lecce on a season-long loan to revive his career. He has had an impressive campaign, playing more than 2000 minutes, saving Lecce by the skin of their teeth.
Milli referred to Samuel Umtiti not only as one of the best defenders but also called him a ‘messiah’ of the club. The newly promoted club conceded just 46 goals with Umtiti in defense, less than all other clubs in the bottom half of the table.
As per reports Pinuccio Milli in an interview told, “He came to the deep south of Italy and was like a messiah for us. Without him, we wouldn’t have stayed up. He’s not only the best defender we’ve seen here, but he’s also the best player in Lecce’s history.”
He further told, “He never displayed any superiority. He lives in a Masseria, named after the old dwellings of local peasants, in the middle of the countryside, between the sea and the olive trees.”
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Samuel Umtiti reveals his struggle in Barcelona tells, “I was in prison for four years”
Samuel Umtiti’s spell at Lecce FC comes to an end on June 30, 2023. However, before leaving the cub the French defender has opened up a few things about Barcelona, in a recent interview.
Umtiti featured in 133 appearances before moving to Italy on a loan deal. Most of these appearances came during the starting spell of the player. Later Umtiti suffered from many injuries which affected his game time and performance.
The French defender got a special status in Lecce FC which he never received when he played for Barcelona. In his recent interview he told, “In Barcelona, I spent 4 years in prison. I just wanted to feel appreciated and respected. In the beginning, after my move to Spain, I felt appreciated and I played at a good level. Then I started to feel distrustful, I felt bad and I realized that nobody believed in me anymore.”
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Arpan Ghosh
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