FC Barcelona player Gabri Garcia de la Torre has decided to leave Barca at the end of the season. The Catalan Player Gabri from Sallent appeared in his last match in a Barça shirt in the derby against Espanyol at the Camp Nou on Saturday evening.



Gabri has spent all his professional football life at Barca and developed through the youth ranks to become a first team regular. The versatile Barca player arrived at FC Barcelona in 1993 from the Centre d´Esports Sabadell. 6 years later, in 1993, Gabri made his debut under then Barca coach Louis Van Gaal in a 2-0 victory over Real Zaragossa.


When Ex-Barca idol Carles Rexach took charge of the first team in 2001-02, Gabri developed into a first team regular, playing 29 La Liga matches, 13 games in the European Champions League and scored 3 goals in total.

In 2002-03 under Dutchman Louis Van Gaal and Serbian Radomir Antic, Gabri was a regular first choice, playing 28 matches in the league and 9 in the Champions League.

Follow up:

Since current Barca boss Frank Rijkaard arrived in 2003, Gabri has had fewer opportunities. He played 16 league games and 5 UEFA Cup games. At the start of last season, Gabri injured his right knee. He tore his cruciate ligaments and the internal lateral ligament. After his long recuperation process from his ligament injury, he came back this season. Gabri has played 10 La Liga matches, 4 Champions League, 2 Super Cup and 3 Copa del Rey matches. His only goal this current season was in the Champions League home match against Werder Bremen.


After seven seasons in the first team, Gabri has won two leagues, one Super Cup and could add the Champions League to his collection on May 17 in Paris against Arsenal.


On Saturday, against Espanyol in the derby, Gabri played for Barça at the Camp Nou for the last time, coming on as substitute for one of his closest friends, Barca´s midfield star Xavi Hernández. He received a warm welcome by the crowd because all Barca supporters recognise Gabri as such a loyal player for all these years.


Gabri is looking forward to the Champions League Final in Paris against Premiership team Arsenal. The Catalan player can see no better occassion to say good-bye to all the Barca supporters, while holding the Champions League trophy in his hands.


So far, Gabri has not make any decision about his future and he does not know where he will go. He will be a free player in the summer and English Premiership team West Ham United offered him a loan-deal back in last January. But Gabri won't make any decision regarding his future until after the Champions Final in the Stade de France in Paris. "I am still not sure where I'm going to go" he says.



On his farewell speech Gabri was very emotional:

"I think the moment has come to put an end to this stage of my career. But wherever I go, I will always have Barça in my heart. It is hard to pick one moment from these seven years, but although I have not played that much, I would have to go for the last two years because of the people I have met."

FC Barcelona Blog wishes Gabri well and good luck for the future!