Gavi made an emotional return to action, coming off the bench for Barcelona in their 5-1 thrashing of Sevilla.
The 20-year-old midfielder had been sidelined since November with a torn ACL, but his 10-minute cameo was met with a rapturous ovation from the Barca faithful.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Gavi expressed his gratitude to his teammates and fans.
“I have been dreaming about this for many months, and I am grateful to my teammates who made the process easier for me,” he said.
“The hardest thing is not playing, watching from the outside. It’s frustrating, it’s tough. You have to enjoy every moment, and [time out] allows you to value the things you have. I feel fortunate to be back.”
He also shared what he missed most during his time out.
“I missed playing football the most; this is my life, it is what I have always done. When all the fans and your teammates like you and give you that reception, you feel very lucky.”
Hansi Flick’s men secured a dominant win, inspired by Robert Lewandowski’s double (his 11th and 12th LaLiga goals this season). The victory extends Barca’s lead at the top of the table to three points over Real Madrid, with nine wins from 10 league matches.
