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In the end, it was really about which club Lionel Messi was going to from FC Barcelona. Now the superstar stays with Barça.
EXCLUSIVE
Lionel Messi will now play for FC Barcelona next season. This was announced by the Argentine superstar in an exclusive interview with objective and SPOX Friday night.
“I will continue at this club,” said the 33-year-old, who had already informed Barça of his desire to move at the end of August.
Messi, who recently partnered with Manchester City but could only have left the Spanish runner-up after paying his € 700 million buyout clause, said: “I’m staying because the president (Josep Maria Bartomeu, d. Rojo.) He told me that I could only leave if this clause was activated. And that is impossible. The other option was for a judge to clarify. But I would never take Barça to court because it is the club that I love. Who has given me everything since I arrived here. It’s the club of my life. “
In an interview with objective and SPOX The aggressor explained the background to his change of opinion, told how his family reacted to his intention to change, and harshly criticized President Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Why did it take you so long to break your silence?
Lionel Messi: The situation after the bankruptcy in Lisbon (2: 8 against Bayern in the CL finals, editor) was extremely tough. We knew Bayern were tough opponents, but we didn’t think it would end like this. That we paint such a bad image for the club and the city.
Why did you inform Barça that you wanted to leave?
Messi : I told the club, including the president, that I wanted to leave. He had been telling her that all year. I thought it was time to go. That the club needs more young players, new players. And I thought my time in Barcelona was over. I was very sorry because I always said that I wanted to finish my degree here. It was a very difficult year, I suffered a lot, in training, in games, in the locker room. […] The result against Bayern was not the only trigger, no. He had been thinking about it for a long time. And the president always assured me that at the end of the season I could decide if I wanted to go or stay. In the end, he did not keep his word.
Did you feel lonely?
Messi: No. I didn’t feel alone. There are people who have always been by my side. That is enough for me and makes me strong. But some things that I heard from journalists or other people hurt me. Because they questioned my love for Barcelona and said things that I think I don’t deserve. […] There are a lot of wrong people in the world of football, and this has shown me again.
It would have been very difficult to give up 20 years of your life. All your life, your whole family is in Barcelona …
Messi : Of course it was difficult to make a decision. […] I always said that I wanted to finish my degree here. That I want to continue having a competitive project that wins titles and further consolidates the myth of Barcelona. And the truth is that there hasn’t been a project or anything in a long time. They did things by halves and wasted a lot of time.
How did your family react when you said you could leave Barcelona?
Messi : When I told my wife and children about my intention, the drama broke out. The whole family began to cry, my children did not want to leave Barcelona or have to change schools.
What exactly was this drama like?
Messi: My wife, although parting, of course, would have hurt her soul, supported me and strengthened my back. Mateo (his four-year-old son, d. Ed.) Is still very young and still doesn’t understand what it means to go somewhere else and continue his life somewhere else for a few years. But Thiago (his seven-year-old son, editor) is already older. He heard about this on television, did some research, and asked a few questions. I didn’t want him to find out that he might have to leave Barcelona, go to a new school, and make new friends. He begged me and said, ‘Let’s not go.’ It was very, very hard. And, of course, completely understandable.
Why did the situation finally change so that you stayed in Barcelona?
Messi: Like I said, I was sure I could go for a free transfer. The president had always communicated it that way. Now they are citing the fact that I did not express my desire to change before June 10. But at the end of the day, on June 10 we were still in the middle of the fight for the LaLiga title after this terrible coronavirus had been triggered all season. And that’s why I continue with this club. I am staying because the president (Josep Maria Bartomeu, editor) has told me that I can only leave if this clause is activated. And that is impossible. The other option was for a judge to clarify. But I would never go to court against Barça because it is the club that I love. Who has given me everything since I came here. It is the club of my life. Barça gave me everything and I gave everything. It never crossed my mind to take Barça to court.
You mentioned earlier that it hurt you to see some people doubt your love for Barça. How much did that hurt?
Messi: Above all, the fact that they thought I could take Barça to court for my benefit was extremely painful. I would never have done that. I repeat: I wanted to go and that would have been my right because that’s how it was in the contract. It would not have been easy to walk, it would have been extremely difficult for me.
Because you wanted to go
Messi: Because I want to happily spend my last years as a footballer. And in the end I did not find happiness in this club.
Why did you decide to use Burofax to inform Barça that you would like to move?
Messi: The Burofax was there to make everything official in a certain way. He had been telling the president all year that he wanted to go. That the time has come to set new goals in my career. He always said, ‘We’ll talk later, not now,’ there was always something. It kept me in the dark. […] The burofax was not an attack on the club, just a means of officially communicating my decision that I had made.
Is anything going to change for you at Barça?
Messi: I will continue at Barça and my attitude will not change no matter how much I want to leave. I’ll do my best. I always want to win and I hate to lose. I always want the best for the club, for my teammates and for myself. […] Otherwise I don’t know how it will continue now. There is a new coach with new ideas. That’s good, but we will have to see how the team accepts him and if we can be competitive at the highest level with him. What I can say is that I will stay and do my best for Barcelona.
