Lionel Messi envisaged spending his complete profession at Barcelona and now has a better appreciation of the exceptional reminiscences he created at Camp Nou.
Messi left Barca in 2021 after his contract expired and the membership’s monetary issues meant he was unable to signal a brand new one.
He joined Paris Saint-Germain and spent two years within the French capital earlier than opting to go away Europe and signal a take care of Inter Miami.
Messi received 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions Leagues and 7 Copas del Rey with Barcelona in a glittering spell however was by no means afforded a correct send-off because of the Covid pandemic.
Barcelona exit was just a little bizarre, says Messi
In an interview with Diario Sport, carried out two weeks earlier than Messi made a shock go to to his previous stomping floor on Sunday night time, he mentioned: “I had a wierd feeling after I left, due to how every little thing occurred, due to how I ended up enjoying my final years with out individuals [in the crowd], due to the pandemic.
“After the life I had there, I didn’t go away as I imagined, as I dreamed. I imagined, as I mentioned, enjoying my complete profession in Europe, in Barcelona after which sure, coming right here as I did, as a result of it was my thought, what I wished.
“The farewell was just a little bizarre, due to the scenario, due to every little thing. However I believe that folks’s affection will all the time be there, for what I did, for every little thing we’ve been by means of.”
I can now respect what we did – Messi
The Argentina worldwide scored 672 objectives in 778 appearances for the Blaugrana however admits he didn’t all the time get probability to understand what he was doing on the time.
“The reality is that I actually miss all these moments,” he added. “Possibly I take pleasure in it extra now than on the time when issues occurred, due to the day-to-day dynamics and what’s concerned in enjoying sport after sport and fascinated with the subsequent sport with out having the ability to take pleasure in what we have been doing.”
Requested to recall his happiest second at Barcelona, he mentioned: “It’s arduous to stick with one. Thank God I used to be fortunate sufficient to stay many moments.
“I don’t know, often after we discuss happiness we go to the titles, the achievements, the vital issues we have now achieved. However the first sextuple with Guardiola [in 2009] was extraordinary, the final Champions League with Luis Enrique too. I don’t know, it’s arduous to stick with one second.”
Messi and his household left Argentina for Catalonia when he was 13 and he retains large affection for town itself.
“I’m grateful to God for having taken me to that place once I was a toddler and in addition, with the start of my kids within the metropolis and with the entire membership and town generally as a result of I left [Argentina] as a toddler, I grew up and spent my entire life there,” he mentioned.
“We miss Barcelona quite a bit. The kids repeatedly, and my spouse, discuss issues relating to Barcelona, the concept of residing there once more. Now we have our home, every little thing, in order that’s what we would like.”
Issues are extra relaxed in Miami
Now 38, Messi is having fun with life in Florida with out being beneath fixed scrutiny as he was in Europe.
“We benefit from the everyday another way, extra relaxed, with out a lot strain, with out having the expectation,” he mentioned.
“Clearly, we would like [to win] however the strain is totally different and that makes it extra relaxed too and we take pleasure in extra in regards to the household, the boys, having the ability to come after coaching, to have the ability to have them come to the video games, to spend for much longer at residence, to get residence and never suppose a lot about soccer and suppose extra about one thing else.
“That makes you reside another way as a result of it occurred to me many instances that the outcome and the everyday managed my spirits just a little and effectively, typically I got here residence grumpy and it was totally different, so we’re high quality right here.”
