After giving more than 20 years of his football career to the club, star footballer Lionel Messi exits Barcelona in a tearful process. At the press conference, Messi dissolved into a bout of tears before he could talk and confirm that he is indeed leaving Barca.
This Argentinian superstar had been out of contract since the end of June when Barca said that they couldn’t afford to keep the player. However, on being asked, Messi denied any demands for money but had in fact accepted a 50% slash in his salary. “I have still not come to terms with the reality of leaving this club now, changing my life. I love this club.” For the player, the club was his home, a home he hadn’t expected to leave yet.
Messi, the six times Ballon d’Or winner, has won as many as 10 titles for the club. He had earlier admitted that a move to Paris Saint-Germain is a “possibility”. Although he painstakingly added that nothing was official and nothing had been signed yet. Earlier, a picture of Messi with PSG stars like Neymar and Di Maria had taken the internet by storm. Once again, he insisted that it was “just a photo”. He said that there had been offers from other football clubs as well keen to acquire the skills of this very talented player.
The process of leaving was sad and hard, something he had signed up for as a 13-year-old. Ha has won four Champions Leagues for the club in his journey. The hope remains to see this club prosper which becomes evident from his words “I hope I can come back and be part of this club at some moment, in any way and bring something to help this club to be the best in the world.”
The move to PSG looms as Messi exits Barcelona to be available in the football market till the end of August. Supporters of the club bid the footballer a tearful goodbye as images of people sporting his jersey, chanting his name and putting out words of their support has been making rounds from all around the globe. According to Le Parisien, an agreement between PSG and the 34-year-old footballer would be signed very soon, as early as later on Sunday.
An era comes to an end with Lionel Messi exiting Barcelona but the world hopes to see the footballer continue to shine and return to the club as a miracle of fate, perhaps later in the future.
“I gave everything for this club from the first day that I arrived right to the last. I never imagined having to say goodbye. In recent days I have given lots of thought to what I can say and truth to tell I can’t think of anything.”
