Kochi: Breaking down to tears Lionel Messi bid farewell to FC Barcelona on Sunday at the Nou Camp. The club, on Thursday, had confirmed they could not re-sign Messi due to their financial problems and also blaming La Liga’s regulations for the decision.
“The truth is don’t know what to say. In recent days I have given lots of thought to what I can say and the truth is that I can’t think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years being here, my entire life. I’m not ready for this,” Messi said at his farewell press conference.
‘My blood ran cold’, Lionel Messi said on hearing the news that he would not be able to continue with Barsa. One among the greatest footballers ever, the Argentinean is bidding adieu to FC Barcelona bringing an end to his over 1 7 year old association with the club. Messi sported Barca’s Jersey 778 times and hit 672 goals. Soccer lovers were speculating over the Argentine’s contract which ended in June this year. Barca expressed deep regret on social media. It thanked Messi for promoting the club all these years and wished him all the best for the future.
He is a five time winner of Ballon d’Or, an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football. Messi joined Barcelona at the age of 13 and made his competitive debut in 2004. Messi had 17 Barca after 17 successful seasons in which he won 35 titles, including four UEFA Champions League crowns, 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, and eight Supercopa de Espanas.
In the 2017 contract, he reportedly earned 138 million euros (around Rs 1222crore) per season. Barcelona is badly hit by the pandemic. The league slashed its salary cap last season and the club had been trying to clear cap space by releasing some of its players.
