PARIS, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Having to leave Barcelona came as a shock to Lionel Messi, but the Argentine forward said familiar faces helped him settle in comfort at Paris St Germain.
The 34-year-old striker, who began his professional career at Barça and is their top scorer with 672 goals, joined PSG on a two-year contract after negotiations to renew his link with the Catalan club after being released. collapse.
“I did not expect it at all. I had in mind to sign my contract and resume training immediately. I thought that everything was fixed and that only my signature (on the contract) was missing,” Messi said in an interview with France Football magazine published on Saturday.
“But when I arrived in Barcelona after the Copa América they told me that it was not possible, that I could not stay and that I had to find a club, because Barça did not have the means to renew my contract. It changed all my plans.”
The attacker acknowledged his disappointment.
“It was extremely difficult to accept. To think that we were going to have to leave the house and that the family was going to have to turn their routine upside down (…) It was the first time this had happened to me in my career. I had decided, and my family too, who was going to finish my career in Barcelona, ”said the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi was reunited with Neymar at PSG, after the two shared four seasons at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, and now plays with his teammates from the Argentine team Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria and is led by his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino.
“That was an important part when I had to make the decision, because I knew that I was going to land in a new country and I had to start from scratch. Knowing that I had friends in the dressing room allowed me to tell myself that things would be easier.” he explained.
After the experience that he described as “very painful” to leave Barça, a club that Messi reached at the age of 13, now the Argentine aspires to win a fifth Champions League title.
Messi forms, with Neymar and French striker Kylian Mbappé, one of the most formidable offensive lineups in the world, but he is aware that they must work to find the perfect balance.
“It is true that the center of attention is on PSG, but there are other very strong teams, such as Chelsea, Manchester teams (City and United), Madrid, who always respond, Inter Milan, Bayern They are all great teams, “he said.
“We have great individuals, but we still have to know each other well to form a team. To win important titles you have to play as a team. That is why I say that we are still a step behind compared to those clubs, which have more collective experience than us.”
Although Neymar and Messi have known each other for years, the Argentine and Mbappé still need to understand each other more.
“With a player like him it’s easy to get along. Besides, Kylian speaks perfect Spanish. It makes things easier,” said Messi, who has so far scored a goal in five appearances in all competitions with PSG.
“I had just arrived, I still did not know him well enough to go talk to him about this (the option of the French leaving PSG) and give him my opinion. Like everyone else, I waited to see what would happen. But in the end He stayed with us and for me it is a great joy. It is one more element in our favor to achieve our objectives, “he added.
(Report by Julien Pretot. Edited in Spanish by Javier Leira)
–
