Lionel Messi disclosed the idea behind his attempt to leave Barcelona, unveiling to Goal a long-standing dispute with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu regarding his future at Camp Nou.
“I told the club, including the president, that I want to go. All year, I’ve been telling him that. I felt it was time to step back,” Messi said to Goal.
“I thought the club needed more young players, new players, and I thought my time in Barcelona was over. I was really sorry because I always said that I wanted to finish my career here.”
“It wasn’t because of the Champions League match against Bayern, no – I’ve been thinking about the decision for a long period of time.”
“I told the president, and well, the president has always said that at the end of the season, I will decide whether I want to leave or if I want to stay, and at the end of the season, he didn’t keep his promise.”
“Over the year I told the President that I wanted to resign, the time had come to look for new goals and directions in my career,” added Messi.
“He told me all the time, ‘We’re going to talk, not now, this and that,’ but nothing. The President did not give me a clue as to what he was really doing.”
“Sending the burofax made it clear that I wanted to go and that I was free and an optional year – I wasn’t going to use it because I wanted to go.”
“It wasn’t to make a mess or go against the club, but to make it official, because my decision was made.”
“If I don’t send the burofax, it’s like nothing’s going to happen, I have an optional year I’ve had to continue this year.”
