Lionel Messi envisaged spending his total profession at Barcelona and now has a larger appreciation of the exceptional recollections 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 depart Europe and signal a take care of Inter Miami.
Messi gained 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 as a result of Covid pandemic.
Barcelona exit was a bit bizarre, says Messi
In an interview with Diario Sport, performed two weeks earlier than Messi made a shock go to to his outdated stomping floor on Sunday night time, he mentioned: “I had an odd feeling after I left, due to how the whole lot occurred, due to how I ended up enjoying my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 total profession in Europe, in Barcelona after which sure, coming right here as I did, as a result of it was my thought, what I needed.
“The farewell was a bit bizarre, due to the scenario, due to the whole lot. However I believe that individuals’s affection will at all times be there, for what I did, for the whole lot we’ve been by.”
I can now respect what we did – Messi
The Argentina worldwide scored 672 targets in 778 appearances for the Blaugrana however admits he didn’t at all times 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 recreation after recreation and enthusiastic about the subsequent recreation with out with the ability to take pleasure in what we have been doing.”
Requested to recall his happiest second at Barcelona, he mentioned: “It’s exhausting to stick with one. Thank God I used to be fortunate sufficient to stay many moments.
“I don’t know, often once we speak about happiness we go to the titles, the achievements, the necessary issues we now have 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 exhausting 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 baby and likewise, with the start of my youngsters within the metropolis and with the entire membership and town usually as a result of I left [Argentina] as a baby, I grew up and spent my complete life there,” he mentioned.
“We miss Barcelona so much. The youngsters repeatedly, and my spouse, speak about issues relating to Barcelona, the thought of dwelling there once more. We’ve got our home, the whole lot, 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 each day differently, 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 concerning the household, the boys, with the ability to come after coaching, to have the ability to have them come to the video games, to spend for much longer at house, to get house and never assume a lot about soccer and assume extra about one thing else.
“That makes you reside differently as a result of it occurred to me many instances that the end result and the each day managed my spirits a bit and nicely, typically I got here house grumpy and it was totally different, so we’re advantageous right here.”