Lionel Messi arrived in Barcelona as a 13-year-old and in his 21 years at the club has become the greatest of all time.

He has won the Spanish league ten times, the Champions League four times and received the Ballon d'Or, the award for Europe's best football player, on six occasions.

But last year, the relationship between him and the club was set in motion.

The sporting results went in the wrong direction and the economy was heavily questioned.

When his friend Luis Suárez was forced out of Barcelona, ​​Messi saw red and asked to leave.

- There is no project in this club.

They only fill the holes when things happen, Messi told Goal.

"It's deplorable"

He was most angry at the then chairman Josep Maria Bartomeu.

And it did not get better when the Spanish media reported on "Barcagate" where the leaders of the club, led by Bartomeu, were said to have enlisted the help of a PR agency to soil, among others, star players Messi and Gerard Piqué and at the same time strengthen their own position.

- I, as a Barcelona player, see that the club has spent money, money that they now want back (in salary reductions) on criticizing us players in the team.

It is deplorable, midfielder Gerard Piqué told Goal.

There continued to be a storm around Bartomeu and after the supporters demanded his resignation, he chose in October last year to leave his post.

He himself denied all allegations, but in March 2021, with only one week left until the new presidential election, the Catalan police carried out an extensive raid on the club's premises and several people were arrested on suspicion of corruption, including Bartomeu.

According to Spanish Cadena Ser, it was linked to "Barcagate" where Barcelona was stated to have paid a total of one million euros (just over ten million kronor) to the PR company I3 Ventures and the payment must have been divided into smaller amounts so that no approval would be required. from the board.

The service must have cost six times as much as its market value - and meant a personal gain for Bartomeu.

When Joan Laporta took over the chairmanship in the same month, it looked like Messi, after all, would remain.

The star's contract was about to expire and due to the strained economy, Messi agreed to halve his salary, which was said to be SEK 1.1 billion per year.

Enormous mountain of debt

All that was missing was a signature - but then came another twist.

The mountain of debt left behind by Bartomeu's staff amounted to more than ten billion kronor, according to La Liga, which put sticks in the wheel for Messi and Barcelona.

On August 5, the bomb exploded.

Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona after 21 years at the club.

"Despite the fact that an agreement has been reached with the intention of signing a new contract, it cannot be formalized due to economic and structural obstacles," Barcelona wrote on its website.

On Sunday, Messi called a press conference where he told about the break-up - and answered the question of whether he after all gave the supporters false hopes.

- Last year I wanted to leave, but this year I do not want it.

That's what makes it so tough, he said.

- We were pretty clear that I would continue.

We had everything ready.

There were no problems and we were honest with everything.

This was not what we planned, but I never tried to fool anyone.

Can he play for free?

Annoyed fans thought that Messi should be able to play for free if he so wanted to stay in Barcelona, ​​something that is not possible.

Barcelona's salary costs exceed revenues by almost 115 percent and even if Messi's salary were to disappear, they are far from La Liga's salary cap of 70 percent, which means that they are not allowed to register him.

- I did everything to stay but it was not possible.

I agreed to reduce my salary by 50 percent and "Barça" did not ask for anything else.

They did not ask if I could go down another 30 percent, that is a lie, he says.

Thus, the home loss against Celta Vigo on May 16, where Messi scored the team's only goal, will be the 778th and final match for the club he has belonged to for over 20 years.

- I'm not coming back.

This is the end of this club, and now a new challenge begins.

The French sports magazine L'Equipe reports that Lionel Messi will sign for Paris SG on Tuesday.

The contract is for two years with the possibility of a one-year extension.