Spain Former teammate Carlos Tevez believes Lionel Messi made the right decision in rejecting a return to Barca this summer.
"Messi understands his situation," Tevez told ESPN on June 11. "He doesn't want to return to Barca while his teammates are getting paid less and he becomes the bad guy in everyone's eyes."
Tevez also praised Messi for choosing the American team, Inter Miami. Miami is a favorite tourist destination for Messi and his family. "Apart from Barca, there is no place in Europe that makes sense for Messi," Tevez added. "He did the right thing and made a very good decision."
Tevez (middle) and Messi when they were still playing together on the Argentina national team. Photo: Reuters
On June 7, Messi confirmed that he would not return to Barca after his contract with PSG expires this summer. According to the 35-year-old striker, his former team never made an official offer, and he did not want to wait and be betrayed like when he was refused a contract extension in 2021. Messi also did not want to return while some of his teammates had to take a pay cut, or be sold, to meet La Liga's financial conditions.
On the contrary, Barca said that they had made a verbal offer to Messi. The club also worked with the La Liga Organizing Committee and restructured the squad to welcome the former captain. "President Joan Laporta understands and respects Messi's decision to play in a less demanding league, away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been under in recent years," Barca's statement on the evening of June 7 said.
In August 2021, Laporta refused to renew Messi's contract. He reversed his statement to keep the former captain during the presidential election a few months earlier. Laporta's unexpected decision left Messi with few satisfactory options other than joining PSG.
In the past two seasons, Messi has won two Ligue 1 titles and a French Super Cup. He also won the biggest title of his career, the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. The FIFA Technical Committee voted Messi the Best Player of the 2022 World Cup. Messi is the only player to win the Best Player of the World Cup award twice.
Inter Miami was founded by former player David Beckham in 2018. The young team is currently at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference in the 2023 season. After 17 rounds, they have won only five and lost 12. Fans hope that Messi can improve the team's position. Messi will sign a contract with Inter Miami in July, when his contract with PSG expires. After the news of the signing of the Argentine striker, the number of followers on Inter Miami's Instagram account increased from one million to 7.8 million.
Thanh Quy (according to ESPN )
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