In what’s being called a plot twist, soccer player Lionel Messi made the shocking confirmation that he’s leaving the Spanish Giants.
Messi, who has been called one of the greatest players in history—if not the greatest—was forced to leave the only team he’s ever played for due to financial problems, NBC Sports reported.
On Sunday, Messi, a forward, called a press conference at Barcelona’s Nou Camp home. “In recent days, I’ve been thinking about what I can say. The truth is, I can’t think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years, being here my entire life. I’m not ready for this,” Messi said as he fought back the tears.
“This year, my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home; that is what we all wanted. We thought we would be staying here in Barcelona. The time we’ve had here has been amazing. Today I have to say goodbye to all of this.”
Messi and fans were hopeful that a new contract would be made that would allow him to continue his career with the team.
“It was like my blood ran cold. It was very sad, very difficult. Up until now, we are still trying to process it all,” Messi said when asked how he felt about the shocking news. “When I go home, I will still feel very bad about the whole thing. I will still feel bad about it all. The important thing is that we are all okay; my family and loved ones and I get to keep playing football, which is what I love to do more than anything in the world.”
“I did everything I could to stay, and it wasn’t possible. There is nothing more to say than that,” Messi said, adding that the reports of him asking for a 30 percent pay increase are false, and in actuality, he accepted a 50 percent wage decrease.
On Friday, club president Joan Laporta held his own news conference in which he revealed the financial problems that restricted them from signing Messi to a new contract.
Messi has since agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain. He will play for fellow Argentine Mauricio Pochettino and with his longtime friends Neymar and Angel di Maria. He has agreed to a two-year contract with the Ligue 1 giants.
An announcement is expected to take place on Tuesday.
