Heartfelt Farewell: Jordi Alba in Tears As He Bids Goodbye to Barcelona Fans

• Jordi Alba said goodbye after an outstanding career at FC Barcelona
• The left-back spent 11 years at the Camp Nou
• He bid a very moving farewell which brought many to tears

Alongside Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba said his goodbyes to Barcelona fans at the Camp Nou on Sunday, after the team’s 3-0 win over Real Mallorca in La Liga.

The left-back left the pitch in tears when he was substituted late on and then spoke to supporters after the game.

“I would like to thank everyone; it was an honour to defend these colours. Today I have to remember the many people who have played a big role in my career,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to receive so much love, it’s the best day of my life professionally speaking. I want to remember a very special person, who signed me in 2012 and it was Tito Vilanova.”

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Alba will move on after losing his place in the team to Alejandro Balde, but insists he’s still felt like a key player for Barca.

“I’ve had less prominence than usual, but I haven’t felt less important,” he added.

“I’ve tried to help everyone, colleagues, staff... everyone. And I feel super proud.”

Sunday’s match was Alba’s final game for Barcelona. According to Sport, Xavi confirmed after the game that both Alba and Busquets will not travel to Celta for the team’s last match of the season and will also miss the friendly against Vissel Kobe.

Alemany on losing Busquets, Alba

As Barcelona fans said goodbye to Busquets and Alba, sporting director, Mateu Alemany did the same. He praised the players and recognised what their departure meant for the club's future.

While the director was full of praise for both players, he did not shy away from what their departures meant for the club. According to Besoccer, he said:

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"It's true that their departures will help the fair-play affair".

The situation he refers to is the ongoing investigation by authorities into the finances of the club, after several inconsistencies were found in the payments they had made to players.

It has thrown Barca's transfer plans into jeopardy, as it restricts their spending, and is a big deterrent to potential signings.

The departure of Busquets and Alba frees up some space on the club's wage bill and means they have more to spend on new players.

Barcelona rattled by Kounde's desire

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Barcelona were shocked that French defender, Jules Kounde is nursing the ambition of leaving Camp Nou, just days after being crowned La Liga champion with the Catalan outfit.

The Catalans shelled out a whopping £50 million last summer to sign the defender from Sevilla, as Xavi continued rebuilding his Barcelona squad to be title contenders.

Barcelona are surprised with this development and are not impressed with the Frenchman, but the Catalan club’s dire financial crisis could force them to let go of him anyway.