Posted on January 1, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. by Bernard Colas
Not having the financial resources to extend his contract, ending on June 30, 2021, FC Barcelona had to resolve to see Lionel Messi leave for PSG. A historic operation completed by the capital club in the space of just a few hours and without spending a single penny. We take a look back at this soap opera which animated the Parisian summer, and which will remain engraved in the history of football.
“It is an incredible and historic day for the club, for world football. It’s a fantastic time. “On August 11, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi did not shy away from his pleasure from the auditorium of the Parc des Princes on the occasion of the presentation of Lionel Messi. That day, the president of PSG knew he had just hit one of the biggest moves in the transfer window in history, if not the biggest. Lionel Messi punctuated the Parisian summer in a period when the French capital is usually illustrated by its calm, but the supporters were numerous the day before to welcome the Argentinian at Le Bourget before following it to the Parc des Princes then to the Royal Monceau, where Lionel Messi was able to notice all the madness aroused by his arrival. Linked to FC Barcelona until June 30, 2021, the Pulga had been talked about for many months previously due to its contractual situation, especially as the he 34-year-old striker had decided to remain silent, he who had explained his desire to leave the previous summer, but with the return of Joan Laporta As club president, all the ingredients seemed to be in place to see the love story between Barça and Messi continue. A soap opera that ultimately did not have the desired epilogue in Catalonia, to the delight of PSG .
Barça's dream turned into a nightmare
In Paris , Lionel Messi had indeed been desired for some time. Friends of the Argentinian playing on the Parc des Princes side had multiplied the appeals of the foot in recent months, starting with Neymar , the former friend of Lionel Messi with the Blaugrana. “I want to play again with Messi, I hope that we can be together next season”, let loose the Brazilian in December 2020 at the microphone of ESPN, probably without really believing it, before being joined a few weeks later by Leandro Paredes . “Everyone wants to have Messi on their team. Every player, every coach. I hope so, but it’s his decision, it’s something Leonardo and our president have to deal with to convince Leo to come. He will take the one he thinks is the best and I hope we can have it with us, “said the Albiceleste midfielder at a press conference. While Lionel Messi wanted a change of scenery during the summer of 2020, FC Barcelona had decided otherwise by retaining his star, with the hope of reaching an agreement for the renewal of his lease. A scenario that has gained momentum with the departure of Josep Maria Bartomeu and the return of Joan < strong> Laporta , at the helm of the club between 2003 and 2010 and who had signed the first professional contract of Lionel Messi in 2004 before extending it for one more year late until 2014. The two men know each other well and appreciate each other. Eager to be part of an ambitious project fulfilled by the FC Barcelona , his club forever, Lionel Messi It was not long before he reconsidered his initial ideas and began talks with his new president, who had made the extension of the Argentine star a campaign argument. “Today marks the anniversary of the day Lionel Messi made his debut with the youngsters of Barça. (…) I'm going to encourage him to continue at FC Barcelona, that's what we all want, ”said the boss of Barça on March 8, the night of his election, after hammering to the socios that he was the only one who could prevent the unthinkable from happening. More than two months later, Joan Laporta showed his optimism on the outcome of the negotiations, ensuring “good progress on the new contract of Messi (…) We have excellent relations and we are working so that he can stay at Barça. “A speech repeated many times in which Joan Laporta repeated that Lionel Messi wanted to continue his career at Camp Nou , while the main interested party disputed and won the Copa America during that time with Argentina. At the beginning of August, everything seems finally closed for the extension of Lionel Messi , ready to take the management of Barcelona after a few weeks of vacation. Plans that suddenly changed. “I came back to Barcelona to prepare for the season (…), I had the idea to sign my contract and resume training immediately. I thought that everything was settled and that all that was missing was my initial (on the contract). But, when I arrived in Barcelona, I was told that it was no longer possible, that I could not stay and that I had to find myself another club, because Barça did not have the means to extend me . It changed my plans, “ Lionel Messi explained in an interview with France Football last October. A brutal turnaround confirmed by Cesc Fabregas , player of AS Monaco and close to Lionel Messi , who was by his side during the summer. “I was on vacation with him a week before, he said he was very close to signing for Barcelona, that he would start training the following week,” he revealed in an interview with Prime Video. Five days later he told me that was not possible, the club told him he had to leave. “
” I am very sad because I did not want to leave, it is the club that I love “
In the process, the FC Barcelona formalizes the unthinkable, the departure of his icon because of the financial problems he encounters. “Although an agreement has been reached between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi and both sides clearly intend to sign a new contract today, it could not be formalized due to economic obstacles and structural, ”announces the Blaugrana team in its press release dated Thursday 5 August. A shock wave then raged in Catalonia, and Lionel Messi He could not hide his emotion during the press conference organized for his departure the following Sunday, during which he ended in tears. “The last few days I've been thinking a lot about what to say. I don't think about anything, it's very difficult after so many years, having been here all my life. I'm not ready for this. This year my family and I were convinced that we were going to stay. This is what we wanted more than anything. It is our house. Today I have to say goodbye to all that, regret that day Lionel Messi from Camp Nou, where many Catalan supporters gathered to salute their idol. We played without an audience with the pandemic, and it was very hard not to hear the audience, the songs, them screaming my name. And now I'm leaving. I couldn't say goodbye properly, but that's how it is. I did all I could. The club, (Joan) Laporta, they did everything they could but it was not possible because of La Liga. It is wrong to say that I wanted to leave. Last year I didn't want to stay, and I said so. This year, I wanted to stay, and that was not possible. (…) I am very sad because I did not want to leave, this is the club that I love. »Then begins a breathless and expeditious soap opera in which the PSG takes the leading role. “From that point on I started to wonder how I was going to bounce back. I had to find a new club to continue my career, will explain a few months after the former number 10 of Barça in the columns of France Football. I was lucky enough to be contacted by several clubs and one of them was Paris-Saint-Germain. I am grateful to the club because, from the start, they treated me well. They showed me that they really wanted me and they took care of me, confides Lionel Messi , before explaining that the PSG quickly became a priority for him. I must admit that we quickly came to an agreement with PSG. Discussions began and it was not easy because everything had to be settled in a short time, practically overnight, when it was a very difficult operation to complete, given the circumstances. I was obviously seduced by the project, the ambitions of the club, the players at its disposal, the group … All these elements made it easier to quickly find an agreement. “
Three days were enough for the arrival of Messi
On Tuesday August 10, five days after the announcement of his departure from Barça , Lionel Messi is officially presented by Paris Saint-Germain . The Argentine has signed up for two seasons with his new team, plus an optional one, with an estimated annual salary of € 30m net, not to mention various bonuses that will inflate the striker's bank account. More than a player, it is a part of the history of international football which then landed on the side of the Parc des Princes, the biggest blow achieved by the Qataris since their arrival in 2011, who could already boast of the coming of Zlatan Ibrahimovic , David Beckham , Neymar or Kylian Mbappé . The Argentine’s jerseys flocked to his new number 30 came apart like hot cakes, and the managers relished the operation they know was historic. “It's an incredible moment in the history of the club. But it starts now. I'm sure Lionel Messi will bring us a lot of trophies. We have the best players in the world and an incredible coach, says Nasser Al-Khelaïfi from the auditorium of the Parisian club. There was a real desire on both sides. It all happened very quickly. When Leo couldn't continue at Barcelona, we started talking. “Indeed, Leonardo confirmed in December at the microphone of Europe 1 that PSG had advanced at high speed, completing this historic operation in the space of a few hours: “We had him come in three days. Three days ! Even Messi thought he would stay at FC Barcelona, he's playing the Copa America and coming back to continue at Barcelona, and something amazing is happening. We knew his situation, but it was almost decided he would stay at Barcelona. And in three days, he arrives in Paris! It was completely unexpected for him. “A surprise shared by PSG supporters, and greeted by Mauricio Pochettino in October, on the Cadena COPE. “Everything was very fast, we must salute the work of Leonardo, the president … In two days, they were able to manage the transfer of the best player in the world, says the coach of PSG . I don't know exactly how it went. Leonardo called me and said: “There is the possibility of signing Messi. Do you like it or not?” I thought it was a joke. I answered him: “do I have to go get him or what?” I said yes and it all started. Every evening, Leonardo called me to give me an update on the situation. “Exchanges that also existed with Lionel Messi , although Mauricio Pochettino did not need to take part in the negotiations to convince the Argentinean to put his bags down in the French capital: “I did not speak with him to convince him, we spoke together when there were only a few details left. settle for his coming. We had a very normal, natural conversation … He knew Neymar, Di Maria … He had a very precise idea of what PSG was. “The supporters are now waiting to be able to admire the great Messi , the one who capsized the Catalan public for seventeen years, although he is still waiting in Paris, despite his 6 goals and 5 assists in 16 appearances in all competitions. In private, Lionel Messi continues his integration, and despite some rumors reported a difficult acclimatization in France, the seven-time Ballon d'Or and his family are building slowly but surely their new life according to Guillem Balague , journalist and biographer of Lionel Messi .