Barcelona star reveals he had to go to hospital after using football as a pillow

Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde recently revealed a hilarious story from his childhood.

Balde has blossomed into one of the top performers for Barcelona this season and has become the first-choice left-back for manager Xavi, beating out the likes of club legend Jordi Alba and summer signing Marcos Alonso.

Speaking to fans on the Residency app, the 19-year-old opened up about the time he had to visit the hospital after using a football as a pillow.

Balde said:

"A memory as a child? I had to go to hospital once because I slept all night with a football as a pillow and got a stiff neck."

Balde has been a part of the Barcelona system for over a decade now. He joined the team's youth side in 2011 before being called up to the Blaugrana's B side in 2020.

His impressive performances eventually earned him a call-up to the senior squad in 2021, where he made his debut after coming on for Alba in a 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He has been given a more prominent role this season and has proved to be one of Europe's most skilled full-backs.

Balde has six assists in 38 appearances and has been a vital part of Barcelona's stingy defense this season.

Xavi reveals thoughts after Barcelona's loss to Rayo Vallecano

Xavi admitted that his side might have become a little complacent after Real Madrid's loss.

Barcelona manager Xavi has labeled his job as the most difficult in football after his team succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano. The 43-year-old went on to add that his side may have been complacent after Real Madrid's loss to Girona earlier in the week.

Xavi said:

"Barca are the most difficult club in the world. It's not enough to win 1-0. If people don't see it the way we do, we're not going to beat ourselves up. From the inside we value it a lot. We have to value the league," Xavi said, as reported by Barca Universal."

He added:

"Lack of motivation? It's a footballing issue. I also make mistakes as a coach. Maybe the fact that Madrid lost makes us relax a bit. It happened to us in Almeria and it happened to us again. You always have to be hungry to win."

Despite the result, the Catalan giants are in pole position to lift the La Liga trophy at the end of the season. With just seven games to go, they hold an 11-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.