Messi: “Bartomeu did not keep his word”

Last chapter of tug of war: Messi stays at Barça. This was communicated by the Argentine in the first person, through a video interview published on Goal.com. La Pulce thus put an end to a ten-day slogan that left the Blaugrana people and the whole world in suspense, constantly waiting for a minimum sigh that could shed light on the earthquake triggered by the burofax of August 25. La Pulce kept a rigorous silence while rumors, drafts and indiscretions, sometimes even conflicting, bounced between Argentina and Spain. Today, after the controversial statement addressed to LaLiga with which he reiterated the possibility of freeing himself at no cost, thus denying the existence of the famous 700 million penalty claimed by Barcelona, ​​he has finally ended the summer soap opera. But at the same time he launched strong volleys at the current Blaugrana leadership, first of all at President Bartomeu.

Clarifications and volleys

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The change expected by TyC Sports was confirmed in a video interview at the end of another hectic day. “I’m staying because they didn’t let me leave and I would never have gone to the pitch against the club I love. But I wanted to leave,” admitted La Pulga. Who then attacked the culé leadership: “There has been no credible project for a long time, we went ahead with useless files and plugged holes while navigating in sight. I repeated for a whole year that I wanted to leave, it was not safe.” for 8-2 against Bayern. I thought it was time to step aside, because I was convinced that there was a need for younger people and that my adventure in Barcelona had come to an end ”. For his part, Messi nevertheless assured: “I will continue to wear this shirt with the same attitude and the same commitment as always. I will give my best, because I am competitive and I do not like to lose.”

Hard year

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Below are other excerpts from the Goal.com interview. “It was a tough year, I suffered a lot in training, games and in the dressing room – reveals Leo -. But the time has come when I set myself new goals. Bartomeu has always said that at the end of the season I would be free to leave if I wanted to, but in the end he did not keep his word. I communicated my decision to the club after June 10 because the season was still running on that date. I did it via burofax because I tried to talk to Bartomeu, but he ignored me. Now I will stay, because the The president has said that the only way out was to pay a compensation of 700 million, which is impossible ”.

Family drama

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On the uproar that arose after the official communication to Barça about the intention to leave: “When I communicated the decision to leave the family, it was a tragedy. My children burst into tears, they didn’t want to leave, they didn’t want to change schools. I’m sorry for everything. kind of colors, but it helped me understand who the real friends are. I feel like someone questioned my love for this club. It was never a question of money, I always put the interests of the club first. If I wanted to, I could have gone earlier to win more. This has always been my home, it is what I felt and continue to feel today. Whether I stay or go, my love for Barcelona will never change. This is the club of my life, the club that gave me everything and to which I I gave it my all. “

The cause

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Messi later denies having thought of taking the matter to court: “It hurt me to read falsehoods. To read that I could have gone to court to benefit from that. I could never have done it. I repeat, I would have left because I was right and the contract said. The fact is that it would have cost me a lot anyway. I wanted to leave to be happy in the last years of my career and I have not been happy in the last year. “

Koeman

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About the season at Barça that is about to begin, Leo is still not clear: “What I hope is that we can compete. I don’t intend to win, but I do want to compete. I don’t want what happened against Roma, Liverpool, Bayern. But I can’t say what will happen. Now there is a new coach with a new idea. This is positive, but we have to see how the team will respond. What I can assure you is that I will do my best. ” Without that burofax, perhaps all this chaos would not have been created … ”Of course. If I had not sent that burofax, nothing would have happened and the last year option would have been activated automatically. They say I should have communicated my decision. by June 10, but I repeat that the season was not over yet. The president always told me that we will talk about it at the end of the season and I could decide if I was going, but he never set a precise date. The burofax was used to giving official status to a very specific decision and certainly not making war on the club. I repeat that I stay because they did not let me leave and I would never have gone to the field against the club that I love.