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Lionel Messi sensationally opened up about his final months of fighting in Barcelona in an eye-opening interview, where he criticized the club for the sale of Luis Suárez and opened up his own saga out of a dramatic summer.
The Barcelona legend, whose contract ends in the summer, can speak to clubs from January and has been strongly linked to a move away from Camp Nou with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, both potential destinations.
So far, the Argentine has kept his letters close to his chest regarding any possible transfer out of Spain, but revealed that he would make it clear to the club if he wanted to leave and has no regrets after sending a burofax to try to force a exit from his club childhood during the summer.
Lionel Messi opened up sensationally in recent months at Barcelona in a television interview
The Barcelona legend had a very public aftermath with the club last summer and wanted to leave
The 33-year-old said he would send another burofax if he wanted to leave the club next year
“It was a way to make a point and express my feelings,” Messi told La Sexta as he reflected on his messy start saga and the public fallout with Barcelona earlier this year.
“ It was me telling the club that I wanted to leave, I felt that I had completed a cycle and that it was time to leave the club that had given me so much.
“I wanted to win titles and fight for the Champions League and I felt it was time for a change. Then the president started filtering this and that to paint a negative image of me. ‘
Despite having such a public and unwanted dispute with the club, Messi said he felt that his time at the Camp Nou had ended after certain decisions made at the boardroom level.
Messi said he felt as if his time at Camp Nou was over after the aftermath of the boardroom
“It was not easy for me to say that I wanted to leave the club and the city. The family wanted to stay here, this is their home, but I really felt it was time to go.
“The departure of Luis Suárez had nothing to do with the decision, but I felt it was crazy the way his departure was handled and that Barcelona let him go to a direct rival.”
Following the arrival of manager Ronald Koeman at the club, several players were excluded from the Dutchman’s plans to move on, including Messi’s forward and close friend Luis Suárez.
Messi revealed how shocked and disgusted he was at Barca for allowing the former Liverpool striker to go free.
‘What happened with Luis Suárez to Atléti (Atlético de Madrid) was crazy!
‘He left for free, paying for the remaining years of his contract and joined a team that fights for the same goals as us. Amazing.’
Messi criticized the club for its ‘incredible’ and ‘crazy’ decision to let Luis Suárez go
He revealed that he is still in contact with Suárez and his former attack partner Neymar
He revealed that he still keeps in touch with Suárez and his former attacking partner Neymar, currently at PSG, on a regular basis.
‘We talk a lot and I talk to Luis every day. The last time I spoke with Neymar was after the UCL round of 16 draw.
‘Let’s wait and see what happens and I will make a decision in the summer. The club is going through a difficult period economically, so it will be difficult to bring Neymar. ”
Shortly after Suárez left the club for Atlético de Madrid, also contenders for the LaLiga title, Messi criticized Barcelona for his management of the club and publicly stated that he wanted to leave the club he joined in 2001 as a youth player.
Due to Messi’s treatment at the time, he would have had to take his employer to court for a chance to release him from his deal and allow him to complete a move elsewhere.
While the Argentine said he was confident he had won any legal battle against the Catalan giants, he did not want to leave them that way.
‘I knew if we went to court, we would have won. Not only did one lawyer tell me that, many did. But he didn’t want to leave Barça that way. ‘
Messi is not expected to decide his future until his contract with Barcelona expires next summer.
The 33-year-old seemed relaxed as he tore down any immediate ties to some members of the European elite during the interview, and rejected travel guides to Manchester and Paris as he revealed that he will not rush to the phone during January as his focus remains. . in Barcelona.
When asked if he will start talking to clubs, Messi replied: ‘No, far from it, that would go against what I am saying.
“My plan is to do everything I can for the club right now,” he added, before taking down playing football for Real or Atlético de Madrid with a simple “No!”
However, while moves to players like City or PSG remain off the table at the moment, he did reveal that he would be interested in moving to the United States of America at some point in his career.
Messi kept his cards close to his chest in regards to City and PSG, but revealed interest in the US.
“I would like to play in the United States and experience life and the league there … but in the end I will return to Barcelona in some way.
“I’m not thinking too short-term and I just want to see how the season ends.”
If Messi completed a move to the Etihad Stadium, he would rejoin former coach Pep Guardiola.
The Argentine highly praised Guardiola’s “exceptional preparation” and said that, along with Luis Enrique, he is the best coach he has ever played with.
“His (Guardiola’s) way of preparing matches was exceptional and his way and the way Luis Enrique worked was also excellent.
“I was fortunate to work with both men.”
The Argentine praised the ‘exceptional preparation’ of former boss Pep Guardiola
After unleashing some scathing criticism about Koeman’s early days at Barcelona, it seems the forward has now gotten a bit used to the manager and is sympathetic to his “difficult transition”.
“It is difficult for him because we are in transition,” Messi replied when asked about the direction of the club under the Dutchman.
“New players and young talents are emerging, so it is also difficult.”
By their near-impeccable standards, Barcelona are really struggling domestically in Koeman’s first season in charge.
The 26-time top-flight winner in Spain is fifth in the table after 14 games and eight points adrift from league leaders Atlético de Madrid, who have one game less.
