Argentine star Lionel Messi bid farewell to his club Barcelona with tears that he could not hold back during the press conference to announce his departure from the Catalan club headquarters today, Sunday, in the presence of a large crowd outside the club.
Messi said while wiping his tears that "he was committed with his family to stay with Barcelona, but he will leave with his wife and his Argentine Catalan children after 21 years I spent with the club. It was sad and like a cold shower, and until today I am trying to overcome that, and I am working to overcome this stage with my family."
He explained, "I wanted to stay and win titles, but this is not possible, and I have to continue winning championships. There was no possibility to renew the contract due to the regulations of the championship (La Liga) and the club's conditions, and I have nothing to say to Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga."
Messi confirmed, "I did the impossible to stay in Barcelona, but it is not possible. We tried as much as possible and did not succeed. I wanted to end my career with this team as many tournaments as possible and I will try with my colleagues in my new team."
He said, "I reduced my salary by 50% in the new contract, and the club did not ask me to reduce it more, and all that was said about this matter is false allegations. When you are silent, allegations and falsehoods abound, and what matters to me is always to always tell the truth to these fans, with whom I have enjoyed for years."
Messi added, "I respected the principles of this club and always acted with respect, and I lived with it many times through thick and thin until I became what I am, and I will always be associated with this club's shirt. do not allow".
Messi continued, "I did not imagine that I would leave Barcelona without meeting the fans a year and a half ago. I wanted to say goodbye to the club better, and I hope to return one day so that I can be part of this club to which I owe so much. I forgot many things that I wanted to say but this is what went around in my mind."
Messi explained what happened in the last hours and resulted in the failure to renew his contract with Barcelona, despite the announcement of the agreement on the contract above all, saying, "I am sure that Laporta and everyone in the club did their best to renew the contract, and so am I."
Messi said, "Many thoughts pass through my mind and I felt shocked and until today I cannot comprehend what happened and get out of this club in which I spent my life, and to change my life and the life of my family who lived for a long time in this city, but we will pass this stage."
Saint-Germain rumors
In response to a question about the possibility of his move to Paris Saint-Germain, Messi said, "He is among the teams and I received many calls after announcing my departure from Barcelona, but I have not been associated with any club so far. The current period is the most difficult in my life, because it is witnessing the end of my career in this club."
Messi responded to one of the journalists linking his picture with some Paris Saint-Germain players that it was a pure coincidence, but that it has value in your eyes now.
Messi expressed his feelings after announcing his departure, saying, "I feel very sad to leave the club that I love. Last season I wanted to leave, but this season I do not want to leave."
He added, "Barcelona is the best team in the world and has good players, and as Laporta said that Barcelona is above all, and everyone will get used to that."
And he continued, “I went to lunch with the club president and that he was convinced to stay in the club and that there would be no problem in renewing the contract, but then what happened happened and I did not expect that despite the club’s circumstances, and we were all convinced of the completion of the contract and we did not expect that, and the circumstances that necessitated not Keep negotiating and I don't blame anyone for that."
And about his expectations for the years of his stay in the stadiums, he said, "The remaining years for me in the stadiums depend on my physical condition, and I did not suffer any major injuries."