Getty
Alex Song with his Barca teammates.
Former Barcelona midfielder Alex Song has offered a telling insight into his time at Camp Nou and has made it clear that being on the bench doesn’t bother him in the slightest.
Song opened up about his decision to join Barcelona from Arsenal in 2012 in an Instagram chat with NBA star Pascal Siakam, as reported by Diario AS.
“When Barcelona offered me a contract and I saw how much I would earn, I didn’t think twice. I felt my wife and children should have a comfortable life once I got my diploma,” he said. “I met the sporting director of Barca and he told me that I wouldn’t play many games, but I didn’t care, I knew that now I was going to become millionaire. I gave nothing of being a bench warmer at Camp Nou for the money I earned.
Barca signed Song to a five-year contract for an announced fee of €19 million and with a €80m Release Clause. Still, the midfielder failed to shine during his time at the club, making just 65 appearances, scoring once and producing two assists.
The midfielder regularly features in lists of Barcelona’s worst signings of all time and is known for the embarrassing moment he stepped forward to win the La Liga trophy from Carles Puyol when the captain called out Eric Abidal instead .
Song was loaned twice to Premier League side West Ham United before Barca finally reached an agreement to end his contract in 2016.
Follow the Loud on Barcelona’s Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumers and content!
The song is about money and arsenal
The midfielder also opened up about his time at Arsenal and how he used to waste money during his six years with the Premier League side.
“Most footballers live beyond their means. I was at Arsenal for eight years but only started to earn a good living in the last four years,” he said. “That’s because my pay has gone up a lot – but also because I realized what a waster I was. When I first joined them I was on £15,000 a week. I was a young boy and I was delighted.
Song also spoke of a time when he decided to buy a new car, after seeing what teammate Thierry Henry was driving, but ended up having to sell it because it cost him too much.
“I would go to practice and see Thierry Henry – the King – arrive in an absolute gem of a car. I figured I wanted the same car at all costs,” he said. I went to the dealership, signed the paperwork and arranged to pay by standing order – and just like that, I had the same car as The King. But I swear I had to return the car within two months. All my money was used to fill it with gasoline. I told them: “Give me a Toyota, this car is too much for me. The next time I went to practice, Thierry asked me: “Where is your car, son? I told him it was on a higher level than me. During my whole time at Arsenal, I couldn’t even save £100,000, when people thought I must be a millionaire.
Song’s career went downhill rapidly after leaving Arsenal. He had spells with Rubin Kazan and Sion after leaving Barcelona and currently plays for Arta Solar 7 in Djibouti.
READ NEXT: Wonderkid left ‘crying in his room’ after leaving Barcelona
