Messi has revealed it is difficult for him to cut ties with his boyhood club as he intended to stay and continue with the Blaugrana.
The 34-year-old came close to leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2020 after putting in a transfer request.
The Catalans blocked every chance of Messi’s exit as he stayed for the 2020/2021 season. The Argentine’s contract came to an end in June and both parties were eager to agree on a new deal.
An official news was tannoyed across the world on Thursday that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will not continue as a Barcelona player in the upcoming season.
Now Messi has spoken for the first time since the official news about his exit from Spain.
“This is really difficult for me after so many years, having been here for all my life. I am not ready for this,” said Messi in the press conference on Sunday.
“These recent days I’ve been thinking, giving a lot of thought to what I can say. And the truth is that I can’t think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years.
“I’ve been here my entire life. I’m not ready for this. And last year with all the nonsense, I was convinced of what I wanted to say, but this year it is not the same.
“This year my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here. That is what we all wanted more than anything. We were at home, and we thought we’d be staying here in Barcelona, the time we’ve hard here and with the city and [in terms of the] football has been amazing.
“But today, I have to say goodbye to all of this.”
“I’ve been here since I was 13. After 21 years I am leaving with my wife and three little Catalan-Argentine kids, and I can’t tell you everything. I can tell you in a few years we want to come back because this is my home.
“I am just really grateful to my teammates and former teammates, everyone that has been by my side. There are so many people. For this club, I have so much respect. So many beautiful things have happened. Also some bad things, but all this helped me to grow and improve and make me the person I am today.”
Messi added: “I gave everything for this shirt from the first day until the very last. The truth is that I am leaving. I would love to be able to go in a different way. I never imagined it this way. I didn’t think I would have to say goodbye.
“I imagined it with the team on the pitch, the last cheers. We have been playing without fans and it has been difficult not to hear them. And now I have to leave without seeing the fans for a year and a half.
“If I had imagined it, it would have been with all the fans."
