Messi leaves Barcelona: I’m not ready for this

Messi
was
set
to
sign
a
new
deal
with
Barca,
but
is
now
heading
for
pastures
new
–
likely
Paris
Saint-Germain
–
after
the
Catalan
giants
could
not
afford
to
fulfill
the
contract
they
had
agreed.

The
34-year-old
took
to
the
stage
for
a
news
conference
on
Sunday
(August
8),
in
front
of
the
media,
his
family,
Barca
team-mates
and
club
officials.

He
was
emotional
before
he
even
made
an
opening
statement,
as
he
revealed
he
had
never
imagined
a
moment
when
he
would
have
to
leave
Camp
Nou.

“These
recent
days
I’ve
been
giving
lots
of
thought
to
what
I
could
say,
and
the
truth
is
that
I
can’t
think
of
anything,”
said
Messi,
who
subsequently
let
the
tears
flow
as
he
received
a
standing
ovation.

Lionel
Messi
set
to
join
Paris
Saint-Germain:
Here’s
contract,
transfer
fee,
jersey
details

“This
is
really
difficult
for
me
after
so
many
years,
being
here
my
entire
life,
I’m
not
ready
for
this
and
honestly
last
year
with
all
the
nonsense
with
the
burofax
I
was
convinced
I
knew
what
I
wanted
to
say
but
this
year
is
not
the
same.

“My
family
and
I
were
convinced
I
wanted
to
stay
here,
that’s
what
we
all
wanted
more
than
anything.
We
thought
we’d
be
staying
here
in
Barcelona,
today
I
have
to
say
goodbye
to
all
of
this.

“We’ve
always
made
this
our
home,
we’re
at
home
and
we
thought
we’d
be
staying
here
in
Barcelona.
The
time
we’ve
had
here
in
the
city
and
the
sport
has
been
amazing
but
today
I
have
to
say
goodbye
to
all
of
this.

“I’ve
been
here
so
many
years,
my
entire
life
since
I
was
13.
After
21
years
I’m
leaving
with
my
wife,
my
three
little
Catalan-Argentine
kids,
and
I
can’t
tell
you
we
won’t
come
back
because
this
is
my
home,
and
I
promised
my
children
that.

“I’m
just
really
grateful
for
the
club,
my
team-mates
all
the
people
by
my
side.
All
the
people,
even
though
some
of
them
I
only
met
a
few
times.

Lionel
Messi
to
leave
Barcelona
as
contract
talks
fail

“I
want
to
say
to
everyone
at
this
house,
for
the
love
that
I’ve
had
to
live
so
many
experiences
at
this
club,
all
of
this
helped
me
to
grow,
helped
me
to
improve
and
make
me
into
the
person
I
am
today.

“I
gave
everything
for
this
club
for
this
shirt.
I’m
so
grateful
for
the
care
that
people
have
shown
me.
I’ve
never
imagined
having
to
say
goodbye
because
I
never
thought
of
it.

“I
never
imagined
it
this
way.
I
imagined
it
with
people
in
this
pitch.
I
leave
this
club
without
seeing
the
fans
for
a
year
and
a
half.
If
I’d
imagined
it
I’d
imagined
it
with
the
Camp
Nou
full
and
being
able
to
say
goodbye
properly.”