Lionel Messi: I didn't want to leave my future in someone else's hands

I would’ve liked to say goodbye like Jordi, Busi. Iniesta and Xavi

If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia

I had offers from another European team, but I didn’t even evaluate it

After days of speculation, Lionel Messi has announced that he will join the Inter Miami club in the MLS. The Argentine captain has made it clear that he did not want to go through the situation that Barcelona have to sell players or lower their salaries. He reiterated that money was not a factor in his decision.

“I made the decision to go to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue on the path. If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more of my family,” explained the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Also read: Lionel Messi bids farewell to Paris amid boos

“If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. My decision is not based on money. I would like to one day have a farewell like Jordi (Alba), Busi (Sergio Busquets), Iniesta or Xavi,” Messi said in a simultaneously-telecast interaction with SPORT and Mundo Deportivo from Paris.

“I really wanted to return, I was very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced when I left, I didn’t want to be in the same situation again. I didn’t want to leave my future in someone else’s hands. Although I heard that it was said that La Liga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for me to return, there were still many other things that had to happen,” said Messi.

“I heard that Barcelona had to sell players or lower player salaries and the truth is that I didn’t want to go through that. When I left, La Liga had also accepted that they could register me and, in the end, it couldn’t be done.”

“I wanted to make my own decision and that’s why I didn’t return to Barça. Although I would have loved it, it couldn’t be. I’m at a moment where I want to get out of focus a bit, think more about my family. The last two years haven’t been so well for my family.”

“After having achieved everything including the World Cup, something I wanted so much, I also wanted to look for something else and a bit of peace of mind.”

“I had offers from another European team, but I didn’t even evaluate it because in Europe my idea was only to go to Barcelona.”

Also read: PSG coach confirms Lionel Messi’s departure from French league club

“I don’t know when or what or when but hopefully one day I can still contribute something at Barcelona and help because it’s a club that I love as I always said. I appreciate the affection I had from people during my career and I would like to be here again, yes.”

Even though Messi did not sound very convinced about what has been done from F C Bracelona’s part, he remained optimistic of a comeback in some capacity to his boyhood club.

“I don’t know if Barça has done everything possible or not, but I hope to return to the club someday in some way. Actually, I spoke very little with Laporta, once or twice at most. I do have a lot of communication with Xavi, since he arrived at the club much more, and very often. We talked about the possibility of me returning. We were very excited, because when something came out, we talked if he really wanted me to come back, if it was good for the team and for him, and we kept in communication.”

“I’m not sure if Barça did everything possible to make it happen, honestly; I just know what Xavi told me. I’m sure that there’s people into the club that does NOT want me to return to Barça.”

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“These were two years at PSG in which I was not happy, I did not enjoy myself, and that affected my family life.”

“I would’ve liked to say goodbye in the way Jordi Alba and Busi did, or Iniesta and Xavi did in the past.”

“I was already blamed for a lot of things that weren’t true in my career at Barcelona and I was a bit tired of it, I didn’t want to go through all that… What were they going to say about me if they had to sell players or things like that for my signing.”

“Barcelona sent me a proposal, but never a formal, written signed proposal. There was the intention, but we couldn’t advance anything. We didn’t even talk about money formally.”

“I had that month which was spectacular for me because I won the World Cup, but apart from that it was a difficult period for me. I want to get back to enjoying myself, enjoying my family, my children…”

Also read: End of the Parisian dream: What next for Lionel Messi after he departs PSG?

“These were two years at PSG in which I was not happy, I did not enjoy myself, and that affected my family life.”