In the aftermath of the contract saga that saw the former Barcelona great forced to quit the club, Lionel Messi is said to be ‘disappointed’ with Gerard Pique. Both players had a good bond while at the Nou Camp, but they parted ways in the summer, with Messi opting for a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
Parting Ways from Nou Camp
The crisis-hit Catalans were unable to raise the necessary finances to secure the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, despite a last-minute dash. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets also took pay sacrifices to make a place for Messi to stay, but their efforts were ultimately in vain.
Pique, on the other hand, did not make a significant change to his salary package until after Messi had left, a circumstance that the latter is claimed to be still resentful of. Messi, who was given a sabbatical by PSG, recently returned to Barcelona and spent some of his free time eating dinner with former teammates.
Although Pique, his old pal, was not present, the mercurial striker was joined by both Busquets and Alba at a high-end Japanese restaurant on Monday evening.
Messi Feeling Deceived
The experienced center defender was not invited to the get-together, according to Sport. Messi feels ‘deceived’ by Pique, according to journalist Lluis Canut. He told Onze on TV3: ‘The last contract renewal signed by Pique did a lot of damage to Messi and he felt disappointed.
“In part, he also felt deceived by Pique, because [he then didn’t further reduce his contract] until Messi left the club and Messi felt he should have done that earlier to try and avoid his exit.”
Meanwhile, Onda Cero reporter Alfredo Martinez said their relationship is ‘broken.’ Pique admitted a month ago that it was difficult to see Messi leave his boyhood club and praised him as the ‘greatest in history.’
“I have shared a dressing room since I was 13 years old, he is almost like a brother, and it was very hard on a sporting and personal level,’ he told El Homiguero.”
“This year things have not started well in part because the best in history has left us.”
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