My son cried and asked me not to leave Barcelona – Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi confirmed on Friday that he would be staying with FC Barcelona despite a dented relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
According to football Inside,
Messi attempted to leave the club through a transfer request, but it was made clear to him that he would only be able to leave Barcelona through court and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Messi confirmed that his troubles are with the current board and not with the club.
He also confirmed that his son Thiago asked him stick with Barcelona.
“Mateo is still little and he doesn’t realise what it means to go somewhere else and make your life a few years elsewhere,” he said in an exclusive interview with Goal. “Thiago, he is older. He heard something on TV and found out something and asked. I didn’t want him to know anything about being forced to leave, to have to live in a new school, or make new friends. He cried to me and said ‘let’s not go’. I repeat that it was hard, really.”
“It was understandable. It happened to me. It is very difficult to make a decision. I love Barcelona and I’m not going to find a better place than here anywhere. Still, I have the right to decide. I was going to look for new goals and new challenges. And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything.”
“My son, my family, they grew up here and are from here. There was nothing wrong with wanting to leave. I needed it, the club needed it and it was good for everyone. My wife, with all the pain of her soul, supported and accompanied me.”
Despite confirming his stay, Messi has yet to speak about his current contract situation. His deal will expire at the end of next season and he has not confirmed what his plans beyond his contract expiration are.
