'It has been an honor' - Ivan Rakitic bids farewell to Barcelona

Ivan Rakitic bid farewell to FC Barcelona on Wednesday morning, a day after finalizing his return to fellow LaLiga side Sevilla.

After becoming surplus to requirements at Barcelona, Rakitic completed a €1.5m return to Sevilla on Tuesday afternoon to end an otherwise stellar six-year spell in Catalonia.

The Croatian made 310 appearances for the Blaugrana, managing 35 goals and 42 assists. His contributions made a telling impact as the club won an impressive 12 major titles. Among them were four LaLiga crowns, four Copa del Reys, and the Champions League.

He also became known for his graceful style of play, ability to pierce opposition defenses, and his vast reserves of stamina.

But while Rakitic’s Barcelona career has ended, he still took time to make a televised appearance at Camp Nou to bid the club supporters and all team personnel a fond farewell.

The 32-year-old then shared one final message on Twitter with a short video recapping his time at Barcelona.

“I arrived at FC Barcelona 6 years ago,” wrote Rakitic.

I arrived at @FCBarcelona 6 years ago. Today, I am turning a wonderful page in my career. It has been an honor to wear this jersey. I would like to thank everyone without exception. My family, my teammates, the coaches, the staff, the club employees and the fans. See you soon. pic.twitter.com/v9CUtLDyLS

— Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) September 2, 2020

“Today, I am turning a wonderful page in my career. It has been an honor to wear this jersey. I would like to thank everyone without exception. My family, my teammates, the coaches, the staff, the club employees and the fans. See you soon.”

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who spoke publicly for the first time since Lionel Messi’s transfer bombshell during Rakitic’s farewell, also wrote his own tribute on social media.

“Thank you, Ivan Rakitic,” wrote Bartomeu.

“For your commitment and dedication. You’ve been a fundamental part of the successes of the last several years, and a example of professionalism. You will always have a home in Barcelona and at Barca.”

Thank you, @IvanRakitic, for your commitment and dedication. You’ve been a fundamental part of the successes of the last several years, and a example of professionalism. You will always have a home in Barcelona and at Barça. pic.twitter.com/Te2MXEPodZ

— Josep Maria Bartomeu (@jmbartomeu) September 2, 2020