David Villa Explains Why He Walked Away From Barcelona In 2013

David Ramos / Getty Images

Spanish World Cup winner David Villa has revealed the very straightforward reason he chose to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2013, signing with Atletico Madrid where he won a Liga title at the first time of asking, 90min reports.

“I decided to leave for another team to have more of a key role,” Villa is quoted as saying by Catalan publication Sport after a trip home to Spain this week.

Villa, who was at his best and most prolific during his time with Valencia, enjoyed a relatively strong first season with Barcelona in 2010/11. He suffered a devastating broken leg the following campaign though, and struggled to make as much of an impact on his return.

It was at that time he left for Atletico, costing the Madrid club just €5m.

Villa stayed with Atleti for just one season, laying his hands on the La Liga trophy for the third time after two previous triumphs with Barça – he also reached the Champions League final with Atletico that season.

He joined the newly formed New York City FC in 2015, keeping himself fit before the start of that year’s Major League Soccer season with a loan spell at Melbourne City in Australia, and is still going strong in the United States, even at the age of 35.