'I am Not Ready for This': Lionel Messi Couldn't Hold Back Tears as He Bid Goodbye to Barcelona

Lionel Messi arrived at the press conference to bid goodbye to FC Barcelona, a club he has been at since he was 14, and he could not stop crying. With a tissue in his hands, he kept wiping his tears away and they would come back again. He repeatedly said that he did not want to leave this year like he wanted to last year and he and president Laporte did everything possible for him to stay in Camp Nou but it just couldn’t happen.

Messi admitted that it was the most difficult moment of his sporting career. Apart from the 35 titles at Barcelona, Messi has seen some heartbreaking losses too. He has seen some massive losses with Argentina as well but the ‘little magician’ said not going back to the training ground and pitch at Camp Nou was the most difficult.

Messi was at loss of words in his opening speech. “I don’t know what to say here. Recent days I have been thinking, giving lots of thought to what I could say and the truth is that I can’t think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years, being here my entire life. I am not ready for this and honestly, last year I knew what I wanted to say but this year, I don’t know. This year me and my family were convinced we were going to stay home. Today I have to say goodbye to all of this,” Messi painfully articulated.

He called his children “Catalan-Argentinian kids” and said all the good and bad moments at Barcelona helped him grow and become the “person I am today”.

“I gave my everything to this club and shirt since the first day here but the truth is I am leaving. I never imagined having to say goodbye because I never thought of it and never this way.”

Messi was particularly heartbroken about the fact that he could not bid a proper goodbye to the fans. He said it had been difficult to play without the fans and it’s tough that he is leaving without seeing fans at Camp Nou for a year and a half. He, however, said he would be open to coming back for a farewell because “for these people, I am available for anything” but added that it wouldn’t be the same.

“I hope that I can come back and be a part of this club in any way to help this club be the best. Honestly, I am forgetting so many things I wanted to say but that’s all I can say. The words won’t come to me. Thank you to everyone,” he said.

At this point, Messi got a standing ovation from all the dignitaries, the players and his family in the room and he couldn’t stop crying. He said his mind was blocked and that “changing my life completely” is going to be tough, especially for his family. “They thought they were going to stay in this city, in our home, but we are going to be okay, we need to accept it, take it on and move ahead,” he said.

He found it difficult to choose one moment from his long and beautiful Barcelona career but then he picked his debut. “The time when I made my debut, that was my dream come true. Everything that came later was amazing but I will always remember the moment when everything started.”

Messi said there was nothing more to the story except that both he and Laporte did everything for the Argentinian to stay in Barcelona but “it wasn’t possible due to La Liga”. Messi cleared that he did offer to reduce his contract by 50 per cent but there was nothing more that the club asked for. He refuted the reports that the club asked him to go down by a 30 per cent more.

“The president explained, the club has got a big debt and they can’t do it, they can’t keep drawing it, it will make it all more complicated. I have to concentrate on my career and go on.”

Messi admitted that moving to Paris Saint-Germain was a possibility but added that he had received approach from a lot of clubs since the Barcelona press release went out and various talks were ongoing.

He said that the photograph with PSG players was just a co-incidence and there was nothing more to it. “I met them one day and we got together, we are friends. Rakitic was there and we clicked a photo and they joked, come to Paris. It was just a moment with friends and nothing more.”

“I am very sad because I didn’t want to leave because it’s the club I love. It’s a moment I didn’t expect. I have never lied, I have always been honest and upfront. Last year I wanted to leave but this year I didn’t, which is why I am sad,” he reiterated.

He disagreed when he was asked if the fans were given false hope that he would be staying. “We were convinced that I am going to continue. Everything was ready and sorted, we were always very honest with people. On my part, I never tried to trick anyone.”

Messi said he was going to continue to be competitive and despite all the sadness he feels about leaving Barcelona, he at least gets to keep playing football, which is something he loves the most. He may even come up against

“The people in Barca know me, I am a good player and I like competing. If I am up against Barca, I am going to fight. I will compete for titles. I am taking this moment to congratulate Dani Alves, he won the Olympic gold yesterday. I want people to know me and no doubt, I am going to go to a team that will possibly compete with this club. I didn’t want to leave but it has to be this way.

Messi admitted that he would have liked to win another Champions League title with Barcelona but there were no regrets in him because he did achieve his objectives. “It’s like Dani, who won all these titles and yet always went for win, I am going to try to be close to him.”

When asked how difficult it is going to be to imagine a Barca team without Leo Messi, the Argentine said people will get used to it. “Barca is one of the best teams in the world, it’s got an amazing line-up. More players will come in the future, players come and go and this club is more important. People will get used to it, in the beginning it will be weird but they will get used to it like everything.”

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