Lionel Messi On Sunday, when he bid farewell to the boyhood team, he cried FC Barcelona And confirmed that he is discussing a possible transfer with the French club Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old Argentine’s emotional press conference came after Barcelona announced last week that it would no longer be able to afford him after a glorious two decades.
The French newspaper Le Team reported on Sunday that he will go to Paris on Sunday or Monday for a medical examination and finalize a deal with a club owned by Qatar Sports Investment.
Although Messi did not confirm that he will definitely join the Parisian team, he said that his plan is to continue the game as long as possible, adding that he still has the ambition to win the UEFA Champions League again.
“As long as I continue to remain competitive, as long as my body responds (I will continue to play),” he said at a press conference.
“As long as I can, I will continue to play.”
Paris Saint-Germain declined to comment on reports that Messi will arrive in Paris later on Sunday. “We can’t confirm anything,” the club spokesperson said.
Modesty and respect
“I tried to be humble and respectful, and I hope this is what I left after I left the club,” said an emotional Messi. Hundreds of fans gathered in Barcelona’s Camp Nou wearing his No. 10 jersey. Foreign bidding bid farewell to the players they call the Messiah.
Before the press conference, Messi collapsed when he stepped onto the stage, and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo held back tears and handed him a tissue.
“This is the hardest moment of my career. When the club told me, I was stunned. It was like a bucket of cold water poured on me, and we were still accepting it,” he sobbed.
“When I get home, I’m sure the situation will be worse. But I will be surrounded by people I love and I will continue to play football. When I do this, I believe it will become easier.”
financial problem
Local media have widely reported that Messi will stay at the Nou Camp, and the player admitted that he has agreed to a five-year contract with a 50% pay cut.
Barcelona’s total debt exceeds 1 billion euros ($1.18 billion) and cannot be traded within the framework of the La Liga financial fair play rules-which prompted them to unexpectedly announce a U-turn on Thursday.
“To be honest, when the election took place (March), I talked with (Barça Chairman Joan) Laporta, we had dinner, and after that I was sure I would stay,” Messi said.
“My contract has never been a problem… I know I did everything I could. The club said it couldn’t happen because of La Liga. I can assure you that I will do my best to stay. Last year I didn’t want to, I said But this year is different.”
La Liga announced last Wednesday that it has received 2.7 billion euros in private equity funding from CVC https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/spains-la-liga-agrees-sell-10-stake-cvc-nyt-2021-08-04, The funds will be shared between clubs in exchange for 10% of the league’s revenue.
It has always been thought that this will enable Barcelona to complete the deal with Messi, but after Real Madrid rejected the proposal and stated that it would take legal action against La Liga, Barcelona also expressed opposition.
Laporta said at a press conference on Friday that Barcelona’s financial situation is worse than he thought after the audit.
He added that the league told him that accepting this capital injection was the only way for them to approve a new contract with Messi, but rejected this statement, saying that he must put the club’s long-term interests above any player.
New record
Messi is the best scorer in Barcelona’s history in 21 years, with 682 goals. He burst into tears before giving a speech and was welcomed by a standing ovation from the media, current and former teammates, and coaches present.
It is worth noting that he was not accompanied by Laporta or any other Barcelona directors during the performance.
All the 35 trophies he won during his time at the club were arranged for the private photo taken after the press conference described by the club.
Barcelona will face Juventus in a pre-season friendly on Sunday. No one won Messi’s No. 10 jersey.
The club has not confirmed whether they plan to vacate it or assign it to team members next season.
La Liga rules only allow 25 senior players to be registered in the team, so if Barcelona decide to retire this number in his name, they will reduce the size of the team. (1 USD = 0.8503 Euro)
— Reporting by Joseph Walker, Graham Keeley, and Andrei Khalip, writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Christian Radnage
