After 21 years at Barcelona, Lionel Messi has confirmed that his time there has come to an end. Messi’s departure was a great shock to millions of fans across the globe. During his final press conference Messi could not hold back his tears, he repeatedly said that he wanted to stay in Barcelona and win multiple trophies. Although he was expected to sign a new contract after he came back from vacation, sadly he couldn’t stay due to structural and economic obstacles . The club announcement quickly pointed the finger at the Spanish League, La Liga. But many others strongly believe that it is the club’s fault. The pandemic caused a dramatic decrease in revenue and Barcelona could not fulfill the requirements needed. Multiple reports stated that Messi was willing to take a 50% reduction in salary just so he can play in the club.
“On the 14th of July, Laporta ( President of Barcelona) and I had dinner and discussed the CVC deal. At the time, he agreed to it and was excited about Messi’s renewal. He had to pick between the CVC deal or to continue with the Super League project and let go of Messi. He chose the latter.”
-Javier Tebas , President of La Liga
Barcelona officially announced Messi’s departure three days before his final press conference expressing their deep regret and appreciation for the Argentine footballer.
During the press conference, Hundreds of fans gathered around Camp Nou with signs. Messi’s trophies during his time at Barcelona were laid out. His family and countless teammates attended as well. Messi stood on the stage and choked back tears as he said farewell after 21 years at the club .
“ I was convinced to stay here at Barcelona. This is my home, our home. I wanted to stay at Barca and it was the plan…and today I have to say goodbye after I spent my entire life here“
– Lionel Messi
Messi then talked about how hard it was for his family and they did not expect to move but Barcelona will always be their home. He then mentioned how special the last few years have been to him and was then followed with an emotional standing ovation from the audience. After his speech, reporters asked questions about his time at Barca and if he was going to play for PSG, Messi then explained that he received multiple offers but nothing is fully confirmed yet . Later today, Barcelona will play against Juventus but there will be no one in the Barca number 10 kit.