The Decision she has arrived. But the talent of Lionel Messi stays in Barcelona: the Argentine, after the fuss raised worldwide for his potential farewell, told Goal its future. Which will be, in fact, Blaugrana. Not without poisons: in the long interview, which you can read below, there were indeed attacks, especially at the address of Josep Bartomeu, outgoing Barcelona president.
Why have you waited so long?
“Firstly because after the defeat in Lisbon it was very difficult. We knew he was a very tough rival, but not that he could end up in that world, giving that bad image for the club and for Barcelonism. I was sick, not at all. I wanted nothing. I just wanted the time to pass and then clear everything up. “
What led you to consider farewell?
“I told the club, especially the president, that I wanted to leave. I told him all year. I thought it was time to step aside. I thought the club needed younger people, new people, and I thought that my adventure at Barcelona was about to end with great regret, because I always said that I would like to end my career here. It was a very complicated year, I suffered a lot during training, in matches, in the locker room. It all became very difficult for me and there came a moment when I thought about looking for new goals, fresh air. It wasn’t because of the Champions League result against Bayern, I had been thinking about this decision for a long time . I told him to the president and the president always told me that at the end of the season I could decide whether to leave or whether to stay and in the end he didn’t keep his word. “
It wasn’t an easy decision.
“Surely it cost me a lot to decide. It has nothing to do with Bayern’s result, it depends on a lot of things. I always said I wanted to stay here. That I wanted a winning project and win titles with the club to keep the Barcelona legend growing. at the trophy level. And the truth is that for a long time there is no project or anything, they juggle and cover the holes as things go. As I said before I have always thought about the well-being of my family and the club ” .
Did you feel alone?
“No, I didn’t feel alone. Only no. At my side there were the same ones as always. This is enough for me and strengthens me. But yes, it hurt me to hear things said by people, journalists, people who I doubt my Barcelonism by saying things that I don’t think I deserve. It also helped me to see who is who. The world of football is very difficult and there are many very false people. What happened to me helped me to recognize many false people of which I had another consideration. It hurt me when my love for this club was questioned. Whether I go or stay, my love for Barcelona will never change. “
What hurt you the most?
“A little bit of everything, both about Messi’s friends and about money … so many things they said hurt me. I always put the club ahead of anything. I have had the opportunity to leave Barcelona many times. Money? Every year I could have gone and made more money than in Barcelona. I always said that this was my home and that it was what I felt and feel. Better than here it is difficult. I felt I needed to change, of new goals, of new things “.
The one way clause.
“I will stay because the president told me that the only way to leave is to pay the 700 million clause. There was no other way than to go to trial. And I would never go to trial against Barça, because it’s the club which I love, who gave me everything in my career. They are the team of my life, they gave me everything and I gave them everything, it never crossed my mind to go to trial against Barcelona. “
Why didn’t you say anything before June 10th?
“Now they cling to this, but on June 10 we were still fighting for La Liga, in the midst of this pandemic of shit, which has upset all the dates. And this is the reason why I will stay at Barcelona.”
Many wrote that you wanted to do badly at Barcelona.
“I wanted to leave and it was all in my right. I was sorry that falsehoods were written. For example, that I wanted to go away and sue Barcelona to make money. No, I wanted to leave because the contract said I could go free. to leave because I thought I was living my last years of football happy. But this didn’t find the club’s agreement. “
What did you think of the comments around the possible goodbye?
“It saddened me that someone questioned my Barcelonism. After everything I have done for this club … I love it and I know that I will not be better anywhere else. But I also have the right to decide: I wanted new goals, new goals. And one day I would be able to come back anyway, because I have everything in Barcelona. My son, my family, I’m here and I wouldn’t have done anything wrong by leaving: I needed it, the club needed it and it would have been the best thing for everyone. “
How will it go now?
“My attitude will not change, I will always give my best. I always think about winning, I never want to lose. I always want the best for the club, for the locker room and for me. Did I say we couldn’t win the Champions League? fact was true, now I don’t know what will happen. There is a new coach, a new idea. It’s a good thing, but you have to understand how the team will respond. What I can say is that I stay and I will give my best. “
How did little Mateo take it?
“He is still small and does not know what it means to change city, but Thiago (they are two of the three children of Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo, respectively Thiago of 7 and Mateo of 4, while the youngest Ciro is 2, ed) instead she’s older and she didn’t want to go away, change friends, school. She cried and told me she didn’t want us to go away. It was a hard time for all of us, I tell the truth. It was very difficult to make a decision, even if I was clear about what I wanted and my wife has always supported me “.
Why burofax?
“To make it official.” All season I said I wanted to leave, Bartomeu always told me we would talk about it. But we never did, and the burofax was used to clarify that to make it official that I wanted to leave. Not to create a fuss, but if I didn’t send it it would be like nothing happened. They pointed out that I didn’t send it before June 10, but we were in the midst of competitions and that wasn’t the time. “
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