What was supposed to be a festive day for Joao Cancelo turned into an unexpected mess. After passing the medical examination on Monday, Barcelona announced on Tuesday morning the return of the player, initially loaned from Saudi's Al-Hilal until the end of the current season.
However, shortly after, all traces of this announcement were removed from social media, and the player himself also deleted a video showing his best plays as a Barcelona player. The lack of a document, apparently noticed when the defender was signing the papers, forced everything to be put on hold. The club assured that everything was indeed settled, but the player's presentation, initially scheduled for 1:30 p.m., ended up taking place around 5:00 p.m.
"I felt a lot of anxiety because it was something I was eagerly waiting for, and it seemed like it was never going to happen. In the end, everything went well, I am very happy and eager to start working. The first training session will be special because I am representing the club I like the most again," explained the Portuguese player.
His situation in recent months has also been somewhat strange. He got injured in September, and due to the regulations in the Saudi league regarding foreign players, his registration had to be canceled, with the plan to reactivate it in January. When the opportunity to play for Barcelona again arose, there was no hesitation. "There were other interested teams, but when I knew that Barcelona wanted me, I told my partner that I would wait until my transfer was finalized," noted the full-back, who will finally have the chance to play at the Camp Nou as a home player.
"As a visitor, I don't have very good memories of this stadium, but the first thing I told my partner was that I was very excited to play here wearing the Barcelona shirt. It's a unique feeling that I have been waiting for a long time. My idols played here. When I watched Alves, my idol in the same position, I wanted to do the same as him. I don't know if I will cry or not, but it is very likely that I will," stated Cancelo.
The Portuguese full-back had words of praise for a team where he still has many friends and which, from his point of view, is better than the one he was with in the 2023-24 season. "Some were kids and now they are men. The group is spectacular, one of the best groups I have been in, and in that aspect, it is not very different from back then. I feel very comfortable here," emphasized the full-back, who dreams of forming a great connection with Lamine Yamal in the attack if he manages to convince Flick to start him.
"I spoke with him, and the truth is that he has had a fantastic evolution. Nowadays, if he is not the best player in the world, he is among the top three. He wears a very heavy shirt, with a number that also carries a lot of weight, but he is at the top and doing very well. His talent will help us a lot; there are games he can decide on his own, and I believe that our connection will be something beautiful to watch," explained the Portuguese player.
He was also asked about the current situation at Real Madrid with Xabi Alonso leaving the Madrid bench. "A big club doesn't want to see another big club sink. What is happening there, despite everything, does not interfere with what Barcelona is looking for. We have to continue working in the same way we have done so far," stated Joao Cancelo, who will wear the number 2 shirt again in this second spell at Barcelona, remaining cautious about extending it. "It's complicated; I have a contract, and for now, I come to enjoy until the end of the season. What I want is to perform well and help the team improve, if possible. I was not lucky enough to win a title the first time I was here, and now I want to achieve it," he concluded.