Danish international striker Espanyol Martin Braithwaite, 31, denied, on Tuesday, in the Danish team’s focus, that he was under pressure from Barcelona to leave the club last summer
“I don’t know if I consider it harassment, but I didn’t feel pressure to leave,” the player told Danish media
Braithwaite, signed for Barcelona from Leganes, was left out by coach Xavi Hernández and left out of calls during pre-season while the club wanted to terminate his contract, prompting criticism from the Denmark Footballers’ Association. , even his boss talked about “harassment”
“The coach didn’t believe in me”
“I knew a long time ago that I had to go. I wanted to play football and the coach didn’t believe in me, so there was nothing to do. There were times I thought I could change things, but there are others when I realize that’s not possible”
Braithwaite made a strong start at Espanyol, scoring two goals in three matches, and admits that the move to the rival club was a combination of several factors
“Espanol was what attracted me the most, it was perfect. The most important thing for me was the project and the next step in my career. But at the same time I can stay with my family in Barcelona and the children can go to the same school. It also helped”
The Danish striker confirmed that his new team’s style of play fits perfectly with his style and that he was waiting for a long time to be able to play and show what he knows
“I’m very happy”
He explained, “I didn’t expect everything to go this way, but I’m very happy. It just shows that hard work always pays off”
