DESPITE only passing his driving test in 2020, Jordi Alba had access to a fleet of expensive cars during his time at Barcelona.
In 2019, a long-term deal between the Catalan giants and Audi ended, forcing players to return their complimentary vehicles to the German company.
Barcelona‘s stars would don the famous four-ringed logo on jackets and kits but Alba was still a year away from being legal on the road when the partnership ended.
Despite this, he’d been handed the keys to his own motor as early as 2014.
Along with his team-mates, Alba was leased an Audi on the house but had to send his sports car back before even getting the full benefit.
Barca’s agreement with Audi had dated back to 2006 with extensions in 2011 and 2014.
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Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been sponsored by Audi.
Alba was just one of those to make the most of Barca’s dealings as he took home a silver motor, the Audi Q7 sport 3.0 TDI quattro.
It has a cost of around £70,000 and Alba could not even take it for a spin without an instructor or responsible driver alongside him.
In 2017, Alba was given a similar make with an estimated price of around £80,000 this time.
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One year later he picked up the Audi Q7 Sepang in blue which was worth approximately £65,000.
Between 2011 and 2019, if Alba took a yearly car from Audi, which the players were allowed to, then at this price it could have given him over £560,000 worth – all of which he couldn’t drive.
Throughout this period he was still getting lifts to training, something that ex-defensive partner Gerard Pique loved to joke about.
Speaking about Ansu Fati in 2019, Pique said: “His dad brings him. Just like Jordi Alba.”
Alba himself, who has been joined by Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez under Javier Mascherano’s management of Inter Miami with Lionel Messi in America, revealed that rival Raphael Varane had been taking digs about his ability behind the wheel as well.
Alba said: “Everyone thinks that Varane is a saint, but he’s not like that.
“He told me: ‘Rat boy, you don’t have a driver’s licence’.”
Alba was then seen driving into training in a Range Rover after passing his test and the Audi deal expiring.
Once Audi cut ties, Barcelona reached a separate agreement with Seat’s sub-brand Cupra.
However, it was reported in 2023 that some of the players, including Alba, turned down the free cars on offer this time.
Some of them are said to have been burnt by the Audi experience which left them needing to purchase what had been a free luxury car, or return the one they used on a regular basis.
Audi’s Christian Guenthner explained: “The Barca players are expected to use their car to get to and from training.
“For official business occasions they use their Audi. During the selection process Audi and the club work hand in hand.
“Players can choose from the whole range of models, usually starting with smaller cars for the younger players.
“They each get to choose a new model every season with a lot of optional extras.
“And with our Audi Exclusive catalogue options, there are infinitely many possibilities.”
He added: “Is there a chance to buy one of these cars after the players used them?
“Yes, it’s possible to get one of the cars on the official Audi used-car market.
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“But we do not tag them as player A or player B’s car. In many cases the players or their families and friends buy them.
“And, in fact when Neymar left for Paris, he bought his club Audi RS7 and took it with him!”
