Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has paid tribute to Portuguese playmaker Deco following his departure to Chelsea.Deco, 30, was signed by his former international manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday. The move came after Barcelona made it clear that the player was welcome to leave the club this summer, but Begiristain said that did not mean he left the Nou Camp on bad terms.

"His performances for us were extraordinary, particularly in his first two seasons here," said Begiristain, who added that Chelsea were the only team to bid for Deco.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also praised Deco, who collected two league titles and a Champions League winners' medal with Barca.

"We believe that he had nothing more to prove here and that it was best if he looked for new challenges," Laporta said. "We did not want to cause any problems for him at this stage of his career."

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