Wait for playing time at Barcelona was tough, says Mina

Colombian defender Yerry Mina said he experienced moments "of great sadness" this season after joining FC Barcelona, stemming from watching his teammates play on television while waiting for a chance to get in the line-up.

"When I wasn't even making it to the bench, I wasn't even an option, so I started training at home," Mina said during a promotional event here on Thursday, alongside midfielder Juan Cuadrado, reports Efe.

The defender only played six official matches during his first six months with Barcelona, which he joined in January.

"There were very hard moments of great sadness because I had a very tough time," he said, adding that at times he even doubted his ability to pass the ball.

Mina also said that the fact that he was not appointed team captain at the beginning of Colombia's participation in the 2018 World Cup in Russia also brought him down.

"I was nervous during the first match because I had not played at all, not even a little," he added.

Mina, who was the captain of the Colombian national football team on three occasions, is the first defender to score three headed goals at a single World Cup tournament since at least 1966.

--IANS

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