Lionel Messi recently spoke about the painful ordeal of attempting to leave Barcelona and the circumstances that led to his decision to stay. After spending 20 years at the club, he stunned fans in late August by stating he wanted to depart on a free transfer.
The club, however, refused to recognize the pandemic's disruption, claiming the deadline for the clause had passed in June. To avoid a legal battle against a team he loves, Messi eventually agreed to stay after a series of long discussions. He revealed that the tension surrounding his departure was devastating for his family, causing a great deal of emotional distress.
Messi in his interview said saying his wish to leave Barca was a brutal drama to his family as they became emotional and had started to cry.
Messi explained that he is still hungry for trophies and wants to keep fighting for the Champions League title. For him, the act of competing is the most vital part of the game, regardless of the result. The traumatic losses against Rome, Liverpool, and Lisbon had made him question his future at Barca, but President Josep Maria Bartomeu blocked his path to a new challenge. Messi claims the president went back on his word regarding his permission to leave at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
But now that ambition to take upon a new challenge has been eradicated by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Messi claimed Bartomeu had gone back on his promise of permitting the Argentinian to leave Barca at the end of 2019-20.
Messi had been under the impression that he was free to go, as the president had previously told him the choice to stay or leave at the season's end was his. Instead, Bartomeu dismissed the free transfer clause and insisted that the only way out was to pay a staggering $823 million buyout—an impossible sum. This financial deadlock is the real reason Messi is staying put.
While Messi could have fought his case in court to secure his freedom, he chose not to pursue legal action and instead decided to spend another ten months at Camp Nou.
Under the leadership of new manager Ronald Koeman, Barcelona has already begun preparations for the new campaign. With his future now settled, Messi will join his teammates in training. After a trophy-less 2019-20 season where they missed out on La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey, the club is determined to rebuild and return to their winning ways.