The Argentine superstar also returned to his departure from Barça, which he described as “strange” given the circumstances.
The 38-year-old has not played in front of fans at the Camp Nou since before the global pandemic, leaving a bitter taste in many Barcelona fans, and in the player himself, who did not have the opportunity to say goodbye. In an interview with Sport, Messi explained that with hindsight, he appreciates his time at Barça more.
“I miss all these moments very much. I perhaps appreciate them more now than at the time, because of the frantic pace and the constant pressure of playing one match after another, of constantly thinking about the next one without being able to savor the present moment. Today, looking back, after a few years, it is much more pleasant. »
Messi opens up about his departure from Barcelona
Messi was due to extend his contract with Barcelona in August 2021, with an agreement having been reached with the club for two more years. However, upon returning from vacation, Messi was informed that Barcelona were withdrawing their extension offer and he would be leaving free of contract.
“I think I already told you about it. I had a strange feeling after I left, because of the circumstances, because I ended up playing my last years without fans, because of the pandemic. After spending my whole life there, I didn’t leave as I had imagined, as I had dreamed. »
“I had imagined, as I said, playing my whole career in Europe, in Barcelona, and then, yes, coming here like I did, because that was my plan, what I wanted. Well, the goodbyes were a little strange too, because of the situation, because of everything. But hey, I think that the affection of the supporters will always be there, for the reasons that I mentioned, for everything that we have experienced together. »
“You might think PSG were hell, but that wasn’t the case” – Messi
Arriving in Paris four days later to sign a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi seemed destabilized during his time at the Parc des Princes, despite moments of genius and solid statistics. He explained that he was still mentally recovering from the shock of leaving Barcelona.
“You would think Paris was hell, but it wasn’t. If I say I didn’t have a good time, it’s because I wasn’t happy with what I was doing and what I love doing: playing football, everyday life, training, matches. I just didn’t feel good. But honestly, we had a great experience as a family. The city is spectacular, we loved it. It was the first time we left Barcelona, and everything was new to us, which made the transition difficult, because it wasn’t due to injury; it happened like that. »
“But the truth is, I wasn’t happy with what I love doing every day. And here, yes, we are doing well, we enjoy the city, our daily life. As I said, it’s a very similar life to the one I had in Castelldefels, with the club nearby, the children’s school nearby, everything is easily accessible and practical. We live away from the city, which is wonderful, but the traffic is terrible. »
