Seydou Keita has revealed that he chose to reject an offer from Real Madrid before joining Barcelona in 2008.
The midfielder, who moved to Valencia in January, believes that his decision was vindicated by the relationship he enjoyed with former head coach Pep Guardiola.
"One day, in Almeria, before signing with Barcelona, I had an offer from Real Madrid," Keita told El Diario. "But I called my agent and said, 'go to Barcelona!' And he asked why. My response was, 'I do not know, but we are going there.' And I was not wrong.
"Pep is a fantastic person If you need anything, he'll give you it all.
"He was also amazing as a coach, treats all the players the same and gives everybody confidence. Tactically, he's very good."
Keita won three La Liga titles and the Champions League on two occasions during his time with Barcelona.
