"I would never have gone legal with the club of my life, so I'm staying at Barcelona."
Lionel Messi breaks the silence and announces his decision, he will remain in Blaugrana until the expiry of his contract, set for June 30, 2021. No clause, no tug-of-war, the August catchphrase ends here but Messi, in an exclusive interview with Goal.com Spain (translated into 127 languages and also available on DAZN) has its say at 6 in the evening, it tells of "a difficult year", of the decision to want to go away communicated several times to president Josep Maria Bartomeu who, underlines the Argentine, "did not keep his word", of his disappointment when someone questioned his love for Blaugrana colors ("What happened to me helped me to recognize so many false people of whom I had another consideration. it hurt when my love for this club was questioned. Whether I go or stay, my love for Barcelona will never change ") although, lately," Flea "says, I have not found happiness inside the club ".
From the heavy knockout against Bayern Munich in the Champions League ("we knew he was a very tough rival, but not that he could end up in that world, giving that bad image for the club and Barcelona") to the sending of the fateful burofax with which Messi has put pen to paper his desire to leave Barcelona.
"The burofax was to make it official - explains the Argentine - Throughout the year I told the president that I wanted to leave, that it was time to go in search of new goals and new experiences. He always told me: 'We will talk about it, not now, etc' ... But nothing. Sending the burofax was to formalize that I wanted to leave and that I would not use the option for another year. If I had not sent it it was as if nothing had happened . What they said - Messi's words - is that I didn't communicate it before June 10, but we were in the middle of the competitions and it wasn't the time. I didn't want to argue with the club. "
The decision to leave Barcelona seen as a "drama" by the Messi family, "the whole family burst into tears. I wanted to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League. You can win or lose, because it's very difficult, but you have to At least compete and not collapse like in Rome, Liverpool, Lisbon.
And this led me to think I wanted to leave. "Messi explains the crux of the clause:" I was sure you were free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide whether to stay or not.
Now they cling to the fact that I didn't say it before June 10, when it is clear that on June 10 we were running for La Liga in the midst of this tremendous coronavirus that has altered the whole season.
And this is the reason why I will stay at Barcelona.
I will stay because the president told me that the only way to leave is to pay the 700 million euro clause, and this is impossible.
There was another way and that was to go to court.
But I would never sue Barcelona because it's the club I love, which gave me everything, it's the club of my life. "" I thought it was time to step aside.
I believed that the club needed younger people, new people, and I thought that my adventure at Barcelona was about to end with great regret, because I always said that I wanted to end my career here.
It was a very complicated year, I suffered a lot during training, in matches, in the locker room.
It had all become very difficult for me.
I thought I'd go in search of new goals, new air.
The president always told me that at the end of the season I could decide whether to leave or whether to stay and in the end he did not keep his word. "Before the announcement a legal note signed by his father in which it still seemed to break, against La Liga and the support for Barca on 700 million: "The clause is not valid" they reiterated. Messi restarts from Barcelona and Barcelona restarts from Messi. "I will continue at Barça and my attitude will not change - he added -.
I will do my best.
I always want to win, I'm competitive and I don't like to lose. ”Pep Guardiola and City have to wait.