• Piqué. "Having people against me motivates me more"

Leo Messi, now captain of Barcelona, ​​had the idea of ​​leaving Spain against his will, when he had to go to trial and was charged with allegedly defrauding about four million euros to the Treasury. The Argentine felt "badly mistreated" by the Treasury and Spanish society. Leo also acknowledges that he came to think that Neymar would end up at Real Madrid if he did not return to the Catalan team.

"At that time I had the mind to leave, not for wanting to leave Barca but for wanting to leave Spain, I felt that I was being very mistreated and did not want to be here anymore. Several teams were there but I had no special offer because the clubs knew of my desire to continue at Barça, but that went further, "Messi said Wednesday in an interview in 'El món a RAC1' collected by Europa Press.

The Argentine stressed that at that time he was "tired." "In 2013 or 2014, when I started having the problem with the Treasury and everything that came out, it was very difficult for me and my family. People do not know what it is, what was happening, and listen by ear and talk and think and a sector of the press thought that too. They got angry and went with everything for me, and it was hard, "he said.

The case ended with a voluntary payment by the player of 10 million euros to the Treasury, more than he had allegedly let down by not paying taxes on his image rights. But, perhaps, that operation was close, as Messi acknowledged in this interview, to end his career at Barça.

It was not so, and continued in a Blaugrana team with which he conquered in 2015 another triplet, with Luis Enrique , as he achieved in 2009 with Pep Guardiola . Rosario's does not doubt that Santpedor is the "best" coach he has had, followed "very closely" by the Spaniard.

However, the '10' believes that the team has missed "many opportunities" to win more Champions League. "I think so, that we missed many opportunities and we could have had some more 'Champions' at this time, but it wasn't like that and we didn't prove it or did it," he said.

No more winning 'Champions', a "disappointment"

In this sense, he considers that, "unfortunately", they have not won the 'Champions' for a long time. "I would be disappointed to be another year without winning it. It is everyone's goal, to win it again and bring it home," he said.

To do this, to reign in Europe, they have an Ernesto Valverde who supports and trusts, and also a staff "with great players to opt for everything." "It's my idea and everyone's to get titles. And it's what people want too," he said. "In recent years we always had a winning project and it was our fault to be eliminated in the 'Champions', not the project or the coach, only our fault," he accepted.

In the squad, as the main reinforcement of last summer, is an Antoine Griezmann from whom Messi hopes for the best, warning that "it is a lie" that he did not want the French. "I already said it the first year that he wanted to bring him. We want the best players, he is one of them, and I never had any problem with him coming," said the Blaugrana.

Afraid to see Neymar at Real Madrid

On the other hand, Messi, asked about Neymar and the failed operation of recovering him this past summer, was sincere and reiterated that he wanted to see him again from Blaugrana, and that he was afraid that he could finally end up dressed in white at Real Madrid. The Brazilian is still in the PSG even though the Argentine thinks he regrets having gone to the Parisian team.

"He wanted 'Ney' here, at the sports level he is one of the best, unbalanced and different, and to have him would be to have more options to achieve the goals. But not only was he looking at the sporting part but by his surroundings, for having left and having left us in those moments, "he said.

"I thought for a moment, especially in this market, that if I didn't come here, I would go to Real Madrid because I thought he really wanted to leave. He had said it, he wanted to change, to leave Paris. And he thought that Florentino and Real Madrid were going to do something to take him away. I don't rule out that he goes there, nor does he come to Barcelona because the president said the door was open, "the Argentine confessed.

The '10' made it clear, yes, that it was not against the current Board of Directors when he said he did not know if the club had given everything to sign him. "I did not say it for throwing a stick to the board or playing against them, it was because I was not in the negotiations. It is not up to me, although there are people who say that I signed or threw people," he settled.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Leo Messi
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