With his contract having expired, though, Messi was left having to look for another club as Barcelona were, despite all things being agreed for a renewal, unable to offer their ex-captain a deal due to their financial state.
Messi was going back to Barca
It’s no secret that Lionel Messi didn’t want to leave Barcelona this past summer. With his contract having expired, though, Messi was left having to look for another club as Barcelona were, despite all things being agreed for a renewal, unable to offer their ex-captain a deal due to their financial state. “I didn’t expect it at all,” Messi said in an interview. “In my head, I was going to go back to Barcelona, sign and start training straight away. I thought that everything was set, and I just needed to sign it. But when I got there, they told me that it wasn’t possible anymore. They told me that I couldn’t stay and that I’d have to find a new club because they couldn’t renew my contract. It changed my plans.”
Leo has decided to end his career at Barcelona
“It was tough to accept. To think that we were going to have to leave our home, the family would have their routines turned upside down; the kids would have to change schools and come with us to a completely new place. It was the first time that this had happened in my career. I had decided that I was going to end my career with Barcelona. It wasn’t easy, but we passed the test together. A lot of things went through my mind, but I had no choice but to leave.” Messi then went to Paris Saint-Germain, where he can continue to dream of winning the Champions League alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and international teammate Angel Di Maria.
The Argentine had a pretty quick agreement with PSG
“PSG offered me the chance to join,” Messi said. “I had other offers, but I have to admit that it was a pretty quick agreement with PSG. It wasn’t easy because everything had to be done quickly, practically overnight. I was seduced by the project, the club’s ambitions, the players they had, the group. All of those things made it easier to reach an agreement. Having friends at the club in Neymar and Di Maria was important because I knew I was going to a new country, and I had to start from scratch. I knew I had friends in the dressing room, which made it easier to adapt. At the Copa America, they kept asking me if I would join them, but always in jest, because they knew I wanted to stay at Barcelona. So, for them, it was a surprise when I said I was going to PSG.”
PSG are dreaming to win the UCL
Messi has made no secret about his desire to win the Champions League again, having not won it since 2015, when he played alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar at Barcelona. “It’s everyone’s dream here,” Messi said. “The club have been working towards that goal for a few years and have been getting closer. From a personal point of view, it’s the same for me. I would love to win the Champions League again, as I said at Barcelona. It’s a great, challenging competition to win. But this group of players has what it takes. It’s indeed PSG’s primary focus, but there are other strong teams like Chelsea, the Manchester teams, Real Madrid, Inter, Bayern Munich. They’re all great teams.
To win important trophies, you have to play as a team
“We have great individuals, but we are still getting to know each other and building a team. To win important trophies, you have to play as a team. That’s why I think we’re a step behind these other clubs because they have more experience as a collective than we do.” Nobody has ever won more Ballon d’Or than Messi’s six, but he doesn’t feel as though he’s the favourite this year. I don’t think I’m the favourite, and I’ve never liked talking about it until the result is in,” Messi said. “It would be great to win another one; it’s already amazing to be the only player to have won six. A seventh would be incredible. This past summer, I won a trophy that was missing in the Copa America, which was the pinnacle for me. If I go on to win another Ballon d’Or, I’ll be pleased and very grateful, but I’m not thinking about it.
“In my team, there are at least two players for whom I’ll vote in Kylian and Ney. Then Robert Lewandowski, who has had a great year. But there’s also Karim Benzema. We know that trophies are important now. The Champions League, the European Championship and the Copa America always weigh heavily in the vote.”