With Paris Saint-Germain having recently seen the back of a number of big-name players, one of them has now broken his silence on his controversial departure.
Prior to the start of the season, PSG conducted a major squad overhaul led by new manager Luis Enrique and sporting advisor Luis Campos.
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More than 10 players were offloaded, including big names such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Sergio Ramos, and Marco Verratti.
However, the fashion in which the Brazilian and the Italian left Paris certainly caught the eye, as they were reportedly summoned to a meeting with Enrique and Campos in which they were informed they were no longer part of the club's future.
While there were seemingly often signs that Neymar could have left the club in the past few seasons, Verratti's case was slightly less predictable as he had been at the Parc des Princes for 11 years.
The Italy midfielder went on to join Qatari outfit Al-Arabi in September, in a deal worth a reported €45 million (R902 million).
When he left the Parc des Princes, though, many were of the view that his outgoing lifestyle was part of the reason why Enrique did not want him in his squad, with some reports suggesting that the 30-year-old was part of the problems in the team, alongside Neymar.
Verratti has now addressed the criticism aimed at him, telling L'Equipe: "It's the way I am. Football has always been a game for me, but I have a life.
"Things I enjoyed were going to the restaurant, and drinking a glass of wine when there was no training.
"There are players that hide it, but I have also fronted up, in my life, as well as on the pitch.
"I think people like me for that; they see that I’m normal.
"I knew the moments when I could go out with friends, or go to a club when I was younger. I spent 11 years here, it's normal that people ran into me more than other [players]. I'm not going to stay at home every day.
"I was always professional. Everyone who knows me knows how much I gave the club, to this work. I was never one minute late for a training session in 11 years."
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