The Argentine six-times world player of the year on Friday confirmed that he would stay at Barcelona, ending weeks of speculation since he revealed to the club his intention to leave this summer.
Messi revealed how difficult it was for him to tell his family – wife, and children – on leaving the club he has been associated with over the last two decades.
“When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama,” Messi told Goal.
He further added that,
“The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.”
The club last month that Messi wanted to leave, insisting a clause in his contract allowed him to do so on a free transfer.
But later Barcelona, backed by La Liga, insisted that a 700 million euros ($824 million) release clause would have to be paid.
Addressing this situation Lionel Messi stated,
“Barca gave me everything and I gave it everything. I thought and was sure that I was free to leave. The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not. Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.”
Messi added that The president of the club did not keep his promise and the management led by him is a disaster,
The reason why Messi has to continue his stay with the club is that the president told him that the only way to leave was to pay the €700 million (£624m/$823m) clause.
“There was another way and it was to go to trial and I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived, I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court,” Messi added while accepting the fact that he must stay at Camp Nou to avoid dragging his beloved club to the court.
