Cancelo Returns to Barcelona on Loan: A Spark for Camp Nou with Long-Term Questions

Overview

Portuguese star Joao Cancelo is delighted to return to Barcelona, the club he says excites him the most to play for, even though his stay may be temporary due to his contract with Al Hilal.

Barcelona announced on Tuesday that Cancelo joined on loan until the end of the season.

Back to Catalonia: Quotes and History

In comments reported by Sport, the Catalan daily, Cancelo said it is a great honor to wear the blaugrana colors again, noting that Barcelona is among his favorite clubs and that he played here before, two seasons ago.

He added that Barcelona is the best club in the world; when he was here he saw high quality and the players have evolved; he came to help them win more trophies.

I feel at home; it is the only club that excites me when I play for them.

On how the move happened, Cancelo explained that initial talks were with the Al Hilal officials and that there was interest from other clubs. When Deco called him, his first choice was Barcelona.

He recalled that during his time at Valencia’s youth academy he had a chance to join Barcelona but it did not happen; many of his favorite players have played for Barca and he admires their style. At Benfica’s youth setup he played against Barca and was impressed by how they kept their style from a young age; he cannot truly describe his feelings toward Barca.

Asked if he would like to stay beyond the loan, he said the situation is complex because he is under contract with Al Hilal, but his goal is to help the team grow and, if possible, win trophies here; after that they will see.

He was also asked if he would like to stay after his previous loan from Manchester City; he answered that Barca is the club he would always play for, and when Deco called he chose to wait to be signed.

He closed by saying he felt anxious until the contracts were signed, but everything seems to be going well, he expects to train tomorrow, and it should be a wonderful moment.

Punchline 1: If trophies were interest, Cancelo just opened a high-yield account at Camp Nou.

Punchline 2: He may be on loan, but Barca just signed a long-term VIP pass for drama and goals alike.