Umtiti on afternoon naps and idolizing Zidane as a kid

Among the series of interviews which Samuel Umtiti has granted since completing his move to FC Barcelona was one which he gave to the club's television channel in which he revealed his most intimate side. For example, he said he enjoys an afternoon snooze: “I like taking a siesta. And I also prefer being at home to lazing on the beach but as my girlfriend knows the city quite well, I suppose we'll do a bit of sight-seeing!” the French centre-back joked in an interview with Barça TV. 

He also admitted that one of his idols was Zinedine Zidane: “When I was a kid I played further up the pitch. But later on I had to drop back (laughs). Back then, my idols were Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho”. Umtiti also singled out Éric Abidal as “a reference, an example off the pitch and a maestro on it”. He added that he hopes to forge “a good understanding with Piqué” and was full of praise for Iniesta -“for the quality of his passing”; as for Messi, Suárez and Neymar, he said “I could mention all of the players because all of them are top class”. Umtiti ended by descrtibing how it feels to be Azulgrana for the next five years: “I cried tears of happiness when I sign for Barça”.