“I was young and reckless. I didn’t see the dangers. I didn’t listen to anyone and thought I knew everything, even though I knew nothing about life. When I was left without a club, I cried. I won’t make the mistakes of the past again. I no longer have the right to fail. This is my last chance.”
A Harsh Reality Check
Kays Ruiz needed a brutal reality check, spending nearly a year without a team in 2023, to avoid completely derailing and to conduct some self-criticism. The solution wasn’t the spotlight of the elite, but at least a new beginning: the modest club Royal Francs Borains in Belgium’s second division, where he found some stability at 23.
From La Masia Prodigy to PSG Talent
Before realizing his career was slipping away, Kays was a child prodigy with a past at La Masia: an attacking midfielder with a special skill, wreaking havoc between the lines. In 2015, frustrated by the FIFA sanction on Barça that had been preventing him from playing for over a year, he moved to PSG, where he quickly drew everyone’s attention.
A Different Kind of Talent
Even the stars of the first team saw in him a different kind of talent. Some were clear: it was only a matter of time before he was one of the first-team stars. Others, however, saw something off the field that wasn’t quite right.
The Turning Point
Ander Herrera, who witnessed this during his time at PSG, explained, “In Kays’ case, I remember one of the first training sessions with us, and I said to Di María: ‘This guy is good, really good.’ And he replied: ‘Forget it, forget it. Look at the car he drives, look at him wearing Dior clothes in the first week with us. Forget it, this one’s not going to make it.’ And I told him: ‘Yes, it doesn’t matter how he dresses.’ And he said: ‘Trust me.’ In the end, I had to agree with him. Later, he asked me: ‘Remember that?’
A Return to Barcelona
It wasn’t long before Kays made a decision that changed the course of his career, returning to his roots. He informed PSG that there was no turning back in his decision: he had no intention of renewing as he had accepted a proposal from Barça to return. His contract was ending, so it was simple for the Blaugrana club to bring him back.
Turmoil in Second Barca Stint
Kays was born in Lyon on August 26, 2002, but his parents moved to Catalonia, specifically to the Can Vidalet neighborhood in L’Hospitalet, when he was just seven years old. Barça recruited him then for the youth team, and he spent six years wearing Blaugrana until the FIFA sanction interrupted his time at Barça, leading him to PSG. Now he was coming back, convinced he could still steer his story with Barça from where he left it. He joined the reserve team, a step away from the first team, and was still young.
He left in 2015 and returned in 2021, but the coaches soon realized he was an ungovernable young man. Only a year later, with little prominence, Barça decided to unilaterally terminate Kays Ruiz’s contract. The club had enough, tired of his behavior, despite the player having signed until 2024.
Disciplinary Issues Plagued His Journey
The French-Moroccan attacking midfielder had committed several disciplinary breaches, in addition to violating team internal rules. The then-coach Sergi Barjuan experienced several tense situations with the player.
In the summer of 2022, he signed with Auxerre, but once again, attitude problems worked against him, and he broke his contract a year later. What followed was almost a year in limbo and the subsequent call from Royal Francs Borains, where he now seems to have found a turning point at 23.
Discover more from Barça Buzz
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
