Messi: 'I didn't come to Inter Miami for the money'

VnExpress•07/06/2023

In an interview with Diario Sport, superstar Lionel Messi said that he would join Inter Miami, even though he very much wanted to return to Barca.

"I'm going to Inter Miami," Messi said as the first words in an interview on the evening of June 7th. "I really want to return to Barca, but I also don't want to be in the same situation as when I left in the summer of 2021. I don't want to put my future in someone else's hands."

Lionel Messi in an interview with Diario Sport on June 7, 2023. Photo: screenshot — Lionel Messi in an interview with Diario Sport on June 7, 2023. Photo: *screenshot*

Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after his contract with the club expired. Then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu decided not to renew Messi's contract due to the club's financial crisis. The Argentine superstar had to announce his departure from the team in a press conference, and he was in tears. Messi said he didn't want to suffer like that again, but still regretted not being able to return. He stated that he had received an offer from Barca, but the club did not send an official document.

Messi also stated frankly that there are people in the Barca leadership who don't want him back . "I don't know if Barca tried hard enough to bring me back," he said. "I only heard about it from Xavi. But I'm sure there are people at Barca who don't want me back."

Another reason Messi didn't wait for Barca was to avoid unnecessary controversy. "I don't want people to think that Barca has to sell or reduce players' salaries so I can return," he said. "I've suffered many unfair accusations throughout my career, and I'm tired of that."

Despite agreeing to join Miami, Messi hasn't given up his desire to retire at Barca. "I want to have a memorable farewell like Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, or Xavi received, because I deserve it," the 36-year-old striker said. "I've been treated like the villain in a movie, and I can't say goodbye to the fans."

Messi also revealed that he received many lucrative offers from both Europe and Saudi Arabia, but rejected them all . "I didn't even consider offers from Europe, because if I stayed there, I could only choose Barca," he said. "If money were the issue, I would have chosen to go to Saudi Arabia or somewhere else, and I would have received a lot of money. I didn't even negotiate the details of a contract with Barca, but they didn't send me an official document to sign."

For the past two years, Messi played for PSG and helped the team win Ligue 1 twice in a row. However, his time in Paris wasn't considered a success, as the team was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Champions League on both occasions. Messi also described the past two years as "difficult" overall. "The first year was really difficult for me for many reasons," he added. "In the first six months of the second season, I felt very comfortable and hoped things would end differently. Anyway, the team always supported me."

Finally, Messi said that he will spend time on vacation with his family before preparing for Argentina's two friendly matches against Australia on June 15th and Indonesia on June 19th. His first match for Inter Miami will most likely take place in July 2023.

Messi scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists in 32 Ligue 1 matches in the 2022-2023 season. Since PSG were eliminated by Bayern in the Champions League round of 16, he has been booed and jeered by home fans on numerous occasions. Messi was also disciplined by PSG for a match for agreeing to travel to Saudi Arabia against team regulations.

Messi and PSG failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension, so he became a free agent after his contract with the club expired. Also on the evening of June 7th, Inter Miami announced the signing of Messi, creating the biggest transfer in MLS history.

Founded five years ago, Inter Miami began playing in the MLS in 2020 and is currently at the bottom of the table among the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. The team's president is football legend David Beckham, who is also one of Inter Miami's major shareholders.

Hoang An

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