Former Spain international and World Cup winner Pedro has opened up on why he snubbed Manchester United for Chelsea following the decision to leave Barcelona in 2015.
Despite playing an important role in the team’s success at Barcelona, Pedro decided to take up a new challenge in 2015 after it became obvious he’ll get limited game time.
“I spoke a lot with Luis Enrique that season,” Pedro tells FourFourTwo. “It was the Barça of the three beasts up front – Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez – and it wasn’t easy to get minutes. The coach was honest, he told me I wasn’t going to play much, and the best thing for my interests, given how ambitious I was, was to leave.
“Barça meant everything to me and I’d like to have finished my career there, but there are moments in life you have to face with courage, and I decided to embark on another project that also excited me. With the passage of time, I don’t regret the experiences I’ve had abroad.”
Pedro Rodriguez celebrates beside Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Manchester United were believed to be the frontrunners to sign the 2010 World Cup winner, only for Chelsea to swoop and sign him in a £19million deal.
“I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, the deal with United was almost done,” Pedro continues. “They took too long to decide, the season was about to start, and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I even played the UEFA Super Cup with Barça, where I scored the winning goal.
“There was uncertainty and anxiety. PSG were also interested in me, then Chelsea’s interest came in. Cesc Fabregas acted as an intermediary, Mourinho called me and said they were willing to offer more, so we contacted United to explain the situation, but they didn’t make a clear decision and I chose to go to Chelsea.”
The deal with Chelsea was quickly done and it meant that Pedro was now playing under Jose Mourinho, after coming up through the ranks under Pep Guardiola in Catalonia.
“Both are winners, but very different coaches,” he says when asked to compare them. “Each has their own ideas, their own way of convincing and motivating their players. I enjoyed learning from Mourinho – he gave me the opportunity to experience the Premier League, the most competitive league there is, and adapting to it was interesting. Despite everything, that first season was tough.”
