Lionel Messi was emotional as he said he did not want to leave Barcelona.
Messi cried as he received a standing ovation in his final Barcelona press conference where he said goodbye to the club after 21 years.
Barcelona confirmed Messi’s departure the day he returned to Catalonia after his post-Copa America holiday.
Messi had journeyed to Barcelona with the expectation of agreeing on the details of the announcement of his new five-year deal, and he made it known he offered to reduce his wages by 50 percent.
Messi said: “This year, my family and I were convinced we were going to stay at home, that’s what we all wanted more than anything.
“We’d always made this our own, we were at home. We thought we would be staying here in Barcelona. But today, we have to say goodbye to all of this.”
The President of Barcelona, Joan Laporta blamed Messi’s exit on the former administration of the club and La Liga spending rules thwarted any hope of Messi staying in Catalonia.
While talking further, Messi said: “I did everything possible and the club, Laporta, they couldn’t do it because of La Liga,” said Messi.
“I’ve heard things said about me, that I didn’t want to continue, but in my life, we did everything we could because I wanted to stay.
“Last year, I didn’t want to stay and I said it; this year, I wanted to stay and we couldn’t.
“I’m not ready for this. And honestly, with all the nonsense with the burofax, I was convinced of what I wanted to say.
“We thought we would be staying in Barcelona. The time we have had here has been amazing.”
