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Ahead of Sunday's El Clasico, David Villa tells Pulse Sports he has no regrets picking Barcelona over Real Madrid
Former Barcelona forward David Villa says he has no regrets when it comes to his decision to join the Spanish giants.
Villa, who is the record goalscorer for the Spain national team, was the subject of interest from both Barca and arch rivals Real Madrid during his time at Valencia, for whom he scored 129 times in 226 appearances across five seasons.
His exploits saw the Asturian native linked to Los Blancos in 2008 after their initial bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United was knocked back. However, Villa turned down the opportunity to move to the Santiago Bernabeu, stating that he “belonged to Valencia”.
“There has to be the will of both clubs and the player – the circumstances didn't exist,” he said in a 2010 interview reported by Marca.
Villa would eventually leave Valencia, joining Pep Guardiola’s project at Barcelona in 2010. With the Blaugrana, the forward won multiple league titles and lifted the 2011 Champions League trophy, scoring the third in the 3-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley.
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Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Clasico, Villa said his choice to join Barcelona over Real Madrid was vindicated by the silverware he won at Camp Nou.
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Asked whether he ever wonders what could have been, he told Pulse Sports, “Not really. The decisions I’ve made in my sports career have always been thought out carefully and discussed with the people that have helped me in my sports career and with my family. I’ve always made those decisions looking to the future.
“When I left Valencia, I decided to go to Barcelona. I enjoyed myself a great deal in Barcelona; I was in a club that won a lot of titles and… not just in relation to this question, but in all the decisions I've made, I've never looked back and wondered what would have happened if I had made a different decision.”
Villa played 28 times against Real Madrid in all competitions in his career, scoring 10 times and assisting five more. Only against two other opponents – Sevilla and Osasuna – did he record more goal contributions in his career.
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Following his departure from Barcelona in 2013, he moved to Real Madrid’s city rivals Atletico and helped them win their first league title in 18 years, scoring 13 goals in 36 league appearances for los Colchoneros.
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