Tottenham star Xavi Simons breaks silence on why he really left Barcelona: “It was clear they didn’t believe in me”

Xavi Simons’ departure from Barcelona in 2019 caused a huge stir at the club. The Dutch midfielder had spent almost 10 years at La Masia and had become one of the most talked-about youth prospects in world soccer during his time in the academy.

He seemed destined to become one of Barcelona’s future stars, but one decision changed everything. Simons left the club where he had grown up as a player to join Paris Saint-Germain. At the time, he offered no explanation, and many fans assumed the move was driven by money. Now, seven years later, he has finally broken his silence and explained why he chose to leave.

“It was clear from the beginning that they didn’t believe in me. At the time, I decided not to speak because I was focused only on playing. They told me, ‘We have other players we believe in. We want to offer you a contract, but you’re not one of the players who’s really part of the project,’” Simons said on the British podcast The Sports Agents.

Looking back, Simons admitted the experience still hurts.

“I spent my whole life there. I went through everything at that club and spent my entire childhood there, so I love Barcelona. That’s why it hurt both me and my family so much.”

He added that, at the time, the club simply had more faith in other young players, and that lack of confidence ultimately pushed him toward the exit.

“For me, it worked out because PSG had a really big project. I was already training with some of the best players in the world at 16. There wasn’t much to think about – the decision was easy. Barcelona didn’t believe in me, and for me the choice was obvious.”

The biggest challenge of his career

At 23, Simons is coming off the most difficult season of his career. He suffered a torn ACL at the end of April, ruling him out for the closing stretch of Tottenham’s campaign and also forcing him to miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands.

“I felt my knee give way and I knew something was wrong. When they confirmed it was the worst-case scenario, it felt like my whole world came crashing down,” he said during the podcast.

There is still no official timetable for his return, although he is expected to be back in early 2027.

Tottenham paid around €70 million to sign Simons after several standout seasons with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. He finished his first campaign in north London with five goals and six assists – numbers below the standards he had set in Germany, where he regularly reached double figures for both goals and assists. Now, facing a lengthy rehabilitation, Simons will be determined to prove that the player who once dazzled at La Masia still has plenty to offer.

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