Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Hungary
Lithuania
Nigeria
South Korea
United Arab Emirates

Messi admits he "had everything" in Barcelona and didn't want to leave the club

mirror.co.uk, 30 May 2022, 15:17
The Argentine superstar has spoken about the complicated and unexpected nature of his exit from the Camp Nou last summer and has spoken of why he has underperformed in Paris

Lionel Messi has spoken on his struggled in his debut season at Paris Saint-Germain and his "crazy" exit from Barcelona last summer.

The Argentine superstar has struggled to find his best form in Paris since his high-profile summer transfer from Barca this summer. Messi was unable to prevent PSG's Champions League Round of 16 exit against Real Madrid - when he saw his first leg penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. The following Ligue 1 match after that, when PSG clashed with Bordeaux, saw both Messi and his teammate Neymar booed by PSG fans.

Laporta has dropped the legendary football's name in conversation several times while Messi has failed to live up to his billing in the French capital, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances this season. Recent reports have indicated that Messi is unhappy in Paris as he has failed to settle in the city and at the club for multiple reasons, with the potential of cutting short his two-year contract at the club. He managed 38 goals during his final term at the Camp Nou.

Recent reports have claimed that Messi has 'demanded some calm' from Laporta due to the 'tone of his statements'. The 34-year-old is believed to be annoyed by the president's references to his PSG deal, which is worth a whopping £25million per year.

Messi has no desire to return to the Camp Nou and it is claimed that the primary reason he does not wish to re-join Barca is because of Laporta. It is suggested that the player's relationship with the president has broken down.

The 34-year-old is both the record appearance holder and record goalscorer for Barca, where he spent a sensational 16 years as the main player. Yet his relationship with Laporta appears to have been broken by the manner of his exit from the club a year ago.

Have Your Say! Did Messi make a mistake by joining PSG? Tell us what you think here.

The Barca president subsequently claimed Dani Alves 'also made a significant financial effort to return' to the club in November, when discussing Messi - with the unsaid part of that sentence alluding to the Argentine not doing so. That was not the first time that Laporta's remarks in the subsequent months have contradicted Messi's version of the club not allowing him to continue.

Messi has now said of the exit on Argentine outlet TyC Sports: "It was really difficult to understand what happened, I wasn't expecting to leave Barcelona - it was a shock".

The Argentine added: "I had everything in Barcelona. I left when I was very young. What's more: I lived more in Barcelona than in Argentina. The truth is that I had no plans to change anything. Luckily, the children's adaptation was spectacular. For Antonella and me it was more difficult."

He accepted that while his debut campaign at the Parc des Princes was an underwhelming one that was fuelled by his "crazy" move last summer and pledged to improve for his second year in Ligue 1: "Next season will be way better for me with Paris Saint-Germain, I'm sure. It was not easy after that crazy summer."

Speaking of his side's Champions League exit against Real Madrid, Messi added: "The Real Madrid game happened and that killed us. To me and to the entire dressing room in general, and to all of Paris. We all had the highest expectations in the competition and the result was a blow."

Messi is currently in Argentina for international duty at the end of the season.

Show more

Top News

21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City Women will continue their Women's Super League survival bid when they face Brighton & Hove Albion Women in Sunday's clash at the King Power Stadium. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Jude Bellingham has moved ahead of Wayne Rooney in the England record books by earning his latest cap against Albania. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Iceland and Kosovo will complete their UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoff tie on Sunday, when they meet at the Estadio Nueva Condomina in Spain. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven could reportedly resume training with the Red Devils shortly after the international break, with the issue that he suffered against Leicester City last weekend not believed to be serious. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pau Cubarsi has returned to Barcelona after suffering an ankle injury in Spain's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first leg against Netherlands on Thursday night. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United Women will welcome Tottenham Hotspur Women to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for Sunday's Women's Super League clash. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk England boss Thomas Tuchel has named his first starting lineup as Three Lions boss for Friday's World Cup 2026 qualifier against Albania. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Riccardo Calafiori has reportedly given Arsenal a major boost with his knee injury not claimed to be serious. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is reportedly set to hold 'crunch talks' with the Reds hierarchy over his future at the end of the season. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Follow all the action as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first game as England manager against Albania, live on talkSPORT. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Follow all the action as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first game as England manager against Albania, live on talkSPORT. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Chelsea's first opponents at this summer's Club World Cup have been expelled from the competition, FIFA has announced. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly learned how long Riccardo Calafiori will be out for with a knee injury following the defender's withdrawal from the Italy squad. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim has been told that Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma has the quality to play for Manchester United. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have confirmed that Alisson Becker has pulled out of the Brazil squad after the goalkeeper suffered a worrying injury scare against Colombia. 21 March 2025 talksport.com There were huge smiles at Wembley commentary with Stuart Pearce returning to action after his heart scare. 21 March 2025 talksport.com A brand new football competition begins next week as some of the sport's legends combine with famous faces for six-a-side action. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk England head coach Thomas Tuchel made the right decision not to call up Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, but the 18-year-old is still a safe bet for the 2026 World Cup squad, expert Charles Watts believes. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he and Georgina Rodriguez are not currently married despite huge speculation. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur could reportedly come forward with a 'super offer' to sign Sporting Lisbon hotshot Viktor Gyokeres in the summer transfer window. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League giants Manchester City will reportedly attempt to sign Swedish starlet Roony Bardghji from Copenhagen. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Lee Carsley is back in his role as England Under-21 head coach and his strong Young Lions squad take on France tonight. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Slovenia will welcome Slovakia for the second leg of their UEFA Nations League playoff tie on Sunday evening, with the contest delicately poised following a goalless draw in the first leg on Thursday night. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Reading face the prospect being thrown out of the Football League unless the club is sold imminently. 21 March 2025 talksport.com Walsall boss Mat Sadler claimed the decision not to request a postponement this weekend was 'out of' the club's hands. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea attacker Joao Felix - currently on loan at AC Milan - could apparently still be offered an escape route out of Stamford Bridge by Aston Villa this summer. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hoping to extend their quest for a first UEFA Nations League crown, Italy will try to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg of their quarter-final tie against Germany. 21 March 2025 talksport.com England manager Thomas Tuchel is set to take charge of his first game tonight, but he won't be singing the national anthem. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are on the verge of agreeing a new five-year contract with teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri, according to a report. 21 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town have reportedly identified Kalidou Sidibe as a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who could leave the club in the summer should they be relegated.