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Lionel Messi says former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu lied to him repeatedly over the course of several years, but does not rule out staying at Camp Nou beyond this season despite wanting to leave four months ago.
Messi, 33, is out of contract in June and is free to negotiate a pre-contract deal with other clubs as of January 1. However, the forward says he will not make any decisions about his future until the summer.
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In an extensive interview with Jordi Evole of La Sexta, Messi also revealed why he tried to leave Barça in August, spoke about a possible reunion with Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain and detailed how his relationship with Bartomeu, who resigned in October, deteriorated. .
“I had been counting [Bartomeu] It’s been six months since I wanted to go and ask for his help and he just said ‘no, no, no,’ Messi said. “So I sent him the burofax as a last resort to show that I was serious, to make it official.
“I am eternally grateful to the club for everything, but I felt that a cycle was over and I needed a change. I knew this would be a transition year and I want to fight for the Champions League and the league titles.”
“The president didn’t want to let me go and then he started filtering things to make me look like the bad guy. Then everything that happened happened, but I’m still confident that I did the right thing at the time.”
Messi said he was shocked by how Bartomeu expelled his friend and teammate Luis Suárez, letting him go free to Atlético de Madrid, but did not want to go into detail about the lies the former president had told him.
“He [lied] about many things, “laughed Messi.” Honestly, so many, but I prefer not to go into the private things that happened, but I can assure you that there were many things over several years. “
Bartomeu resigned in October and a new president will be named on January 24. Before that, Messi will be able to speak with other clubs, although he insists he is only focused on the current campaign.
“No [I won’t talk with other clubs because] I have nothing clear until the end of the year, “added the Argentine international.” I will wait for the season to end. The important thing is to think about the team and try to win titles, not get distracted by other issues.
“I don’t know what will happen. I’m focused on what we have in front of us for the next six months. It wouldn’t be right to tell you what I’m going to do after that because even I don’t know.”
Former president Joan Laporta and Víctor Font are the favorites to replace Bartomeu and will have the task of trying to convince Messi to sign a new contract.
Messi would not position himself with either candidate, but will listen to the incoming president’s plans before making any decisions about his future.
Manchester City and PSG are the two best-placed clubs to sign him in Europe, but Messi would not be drawn either, although he did say that “it’s always been a dream to play in the United States” before retiring.
Creating a project to tempt Messi to stay will be difficult for the new president given Barça’s financial problems.
“The club is very bad [financially], very bad, “he said.” It will be difficult to get back to where we were. It will not be easy for the new president to change things. I hope that whoever wins does things well so that this great club returns to where it deserves. “
Neymar recently said that he would like to play with Messi next season. Messi said he still talks to the Brazilian, and did so earlier this month when Barça drew with PSG in the Champions League, but doubts that a Camp Nou meeting is financially possible.
“It will be difficult to sign quality players because there is no money,” Messi said. “It is difficult to bring Neymar here. [Even if he] accept a lower salary, how do you pay PSG? The new president will have to be very smart and put things in order. “
Messi also said that he has never seen a psychologist although he knows he should, supported Barça coach Ronald Koeman, reiterated that there are no problems between him and Antoine Griezmann and said that he sees himself as a sports director, not as a coach , when you retire.
