World football supertar Lionel Messi was in tears as he bade farewell to FC Barcelona - but said he has not yet decided on his future.

The Argentinian who is considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time said: "I'm so grateful for the love people have shown me these years."

The striker said he tried to "behave with humility and respect, and I hope that's the memory that will be left of me".

The Argentina captain is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and has won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and the Copa del Rey seven times, as well as claiming the Ballon d'Or on a record six occasions.

The club announced Messi was set to leave as a new contract could not happen in line with financial fair play rules set by La Liga - the body that runs Spain’s top football league.

The Herald:

 

He is now a free agent after Barcelona said they could not afford to give him a new deal.

Messi said when he was told he would have to leave, he said: "It was like my blood ran cold, I was really sad, it was really difficult right up to now. I'm still trying to process it all.

"When I got home I will still feel bad, it will be even worse.

"This is the end with this club and now a new story will begin. Yes, it's one of the most difficult moments for me.

"I don't want to leave this club, it's a club I love and this is a moment I didn't expect.

"Last year I wanted to leave, this year I wanted to stay, that's why I'm so sad."

Messi has been linked to a move to PSG, and he said "it is a possibility" but added that he had not made up his mind about his future.

French newspaper L'Equipe has said that the Argentinian will travel to Paris either Sunday or Monday to undertake a medical and finalise his deal with the Qatar Sports Investment-owned club.

Messi said: "I've been here my entire life, I'm not ready for this. And last year with all the nonsense, I was convinced of what I wanted to say, but this year it is not the same.

"This year my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, that is what we all wanted more than anything."

He said his family was "at home" in Barcelona and "we thought we'd be staying here".

"But today, I have to say goodbye to all of this," he added.

Messi confirmed he offered to reduce his salary by 50 per cent, but in the end a deal was simply not possible.

"What's clear is I did everything possible, and they (Barca) couldn't do it because of La Liga," he said.

The Herald:

"A lot of things have been said about me, but on my behalf we did everything I could because I wanted to stay. Last year I didn't want to stay and I said it. This year I did and I couldn't.

"We have had some good times and some bad times as well, but the love people have shown me has always been the same.

"I hope that I can come back and be part of this club in any moment, in any way and bring something to help this club be the best in the world.

"I am forgetting so many things that I wanted to say, but that's all I can say right now. I've thought about it a lot, but the words won't come to me. Thank you to everyone."

He added "After 21 years I'm leaving with my three Catalan Argentine kids. We've lived in this city, this is our home. I'm just really grateful for everything, all my team-mates, everyone who has been by my side.

"I gave everything for this club from the first day I arrived to the last. I never imagined having to say goodbye as I didn't think about it."

The footballer was asked how long he expects to keep playing for and says: "Thankfully up to now I've not had any serious injuries. Let's keep moving forward as it could all end quickly. Until I can, I'm going to keep competing.

 


Barcelona had said that Messi was leaving because of “financial and structural obstacles” caused by financial regulations imposed by La Liga.

Messi, the frontman of FC Barcelona’s success for more than a decade, has spent his entire career at the club, with which he won every leading trophy and personal accolade. 

The player and Barcelona had intended to sign a contract on Thursday but were forced to separate, the team said, because the rules required the organisation to rein in spending. Barcelona added that both sides “deeply regret” the split.

The exit cameas Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid were contesting La Liga plans to partner with CVC Capital Partners, the private equity firm, which plans to invest €2.7bn, subject to clubs’ approval.

The Argentina international earned more than €555m between 2017 and 2021, according to extracts from his contract published in Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

Meanwhile the club sunk to a net loss of almost €100m in the 2019-20 season, the first to be disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Barca president Juan Laporta told a news conference on Friday that the league informed him that accepting the CVC cash injection was the only way they would approve a new contract for Messi, and that he had to put the long-term interests of the club above any player.