The entire transfer saga surrounding Messi that has been going through the entire week has now publicly been announced as Lionel Messi steps up to reveal everything in an exclusive interview with Goal. Yes, Messi wanted to leave Barcelona, the club he loves the most, and wanted to activate his free clause that “technically expired” in June.
The Argentine revealed what happened back at the club and how his son along with his family entirely broken down with his decision. Also, he told Goal why he has ended up staying in Barcelona at what circumstances after spending 20 years at the Catalan club. There has been an internal war going on at the club where a lot of things are ongoing, his father Jorge Messi came to talk to Bartomeu regarding this recently as well.
Now, as La Liga has stood for FC Barcelona, under Bartomeu, who forces him to stay at Camp Nou, has deemed the €700 million clause valid and no club on earth can pay that money. So, even though the Argentine does not have the heart to stay at Barcelona, he has to continue for another 10 months playing in a Barca shirt.
Messi doesn’t want to drag this matter to court against his beloved club and this has relaxed a lot of fans, however, he does remain sad to this forceable stay at the club. It is good to see him made this entire thing public and he told Goal:
“When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama. The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.”
“But I looked further afield and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League. You can win or lose in it, because it is very difficult, but you have to compete.”
“At least compete for it and let us not fall apart in Rome, Liverpool, Lisbon. All that led me to think about that decision that I wanted to carry out.”
Messi even revealed his clash with president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who is the sole reason behind all this:
“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not,” he said.
“Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.
“And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700 million (£624m/$823m) clause, and that this is impossible.”
Messi also confess his love for the club as he does not want this to be dragged to court:
“There was another way and it was to go to trial,” he added. “I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived.
“It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.
“Barca gave me everything and I gave it everything. I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court.”
The Argetine has three sons and he loves all of them, he did open up how his decision to leave impacted his sons, also he was open to speak about his wife Antonella who stood by his side:
“Mateo is still little and he doesn’t realise what it means to go somewhere else and make your life a few years elsewhere,” he said.
“Thiago, he is older. He heard something on TV and found out something and asked.
“I didn’t want him to know anything about being forced to leave, to have to live in a new school, or make new friends.
“He cried to me and said ‘let’s not go’. I repeat that it was hard, really.
“It was understandable. It happened to me. It is very difficult to make a decision.
“I love Barcelona and I’m not going to find a better place than here anywhere. Still, I have the right to decide. I was going to look for new goals and new challenges. And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything.
“My son, my family, they grew up here and are from here. There was nothing wrong with wanting to leave. I needed it, the club needed it and it was good for everyone.
“My wife, with all the pain of her soul, supported and accompanied me.”
Now, its been confirmed Lionel Messi will play for the club another season under the new coach Ronald Koeman and it will be interesting to see if the 33-year old renews his contract or leaves the club next season. Obviously Barcelona has to win everything to change his decision, as Messi wants to end his career winning everything possible.
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