THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO LEAVE! Messi spoke about leaving Barcelona: I had a hard time accepting that, I didn't strangle Killian much

The Argentine who has now decided to speak , (about the reasons for that move, as well as the relationship with former and new teammates.

– It was extremely difficult for me to accept the circumstances. I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I was leaving home, that my family would have to change their daily routines, the children would have to go to school, and we would all have to get used to another place. For the first time in my career, something like this happened to me. It was even harder due to the fact that I had previously decided to end my career in Barcelona. A lot of things went through my head, I had no choice but to leave.

He discovered that Barcelona definitely did not have enough money to extend his contract. PSG has imposed itself as the main option due to the rich owners, but also the playing staff.

– In a statement, Barcelona stated that the extension of the contract is not possible. They called me and told me to find another club, because Barça did not have enough funds to renew their contract. From that moment on, I began to consider what to do next. I had to find a new environment to continue my career, fortunately, several of them contacted me, including PSG, who treated me well from the beginning. He just showed that he wants me, that he is ready to take care of me. I am grateful to him that I am happy today. He convinced me that I was part of the project, and he judged the quality of the playing staff, individuals and groups. All the above elements led to an agreement.

Although some claim that “evil blood” is flowing between Killian Embape and Lionel Messi, because of which the Frenchman wants to leave PSG in the summer, the Argentine categorically refuses and says that he has a good relationship with his teammate.

– I arrived at another club during my career and of course it was a little harder at the beginning, however, it helped is that I have good friends in Paris. Embape? When I arrived, I did not choke him with advice, because I barely knew him. In the end, he stayed, which is good news. We get along well, because he speaks Spanish perfectly.

He never liked to talk about himself in superlatives. On the contrary, he tried to lower the ball to the ground as much as possible, just as he did for France Football, which asked him about the possible seventh Golden Ball.

– No. I don’t feel that way and I never liked to talk about myself, until the results are known. If it happens, it would be great to win the prize once again. It was beautiful that I finally won the cup with the national team last summer. Of course, I would feel very lucky if I won the Golden Ball again. It is extraordinary that I have six of them and that I am the only football player in the world with so many awards. Seventh would be an amazing achievement.

He says that Neymar and Embape are in the first place to win the new Golden Ball, but that they are also threatened by some other players, who had great seasons.

– Every time they ask me, I’m afraid I’ll leave someone out … I would say that Neymar and Embape are the first candidates, although Benzema and Lewandowski had great seasons. You can do a lot on an individual level, although in the end it counts whether you have won the Champions League, the European Championship or the Copa America with a club or a national team. Many took Messiah for evil because he never did anything with the national team. That curse was broken this summer, after the victory in the Copa America.

– I tell you honestly – yes. That would be a thorn in my side when considering my career. I would have had a strange feeling if I hadn’t brought a valuable trophy to the country. I really wanted to do something important with the selection, when I had already won everything with the club. I just missed this. I knew I had to try again and again. I didn’t give up. I felt it would happen, sooner or later.

– How could I not … I got rid of the pressure. I won the title after losing three finals. That’s exactly what we needed. Argentina, it’s football. After a long period of drought (previous title won in 1993), we finally succeeded. In the meantime, they criticized us for no reason. A bit unfair to this generation of players. The public perception changed the moment we brought home the trophy. Now we can work and play in a far calmer environment, not to mention more relaxed.

He won the Champions League with Barcelona. The logical question now is whether he can repeat the same thing with the PSG team? To the Parisians, that trophy was constantly “running away” by a hair.

– I think I can repeat that with PSG. An exciting challenge. Of course I still want to win before I retire. I hope we can do great things. That is our common goal. Everyone here dreams of a Champions League trophy. For years, the club has been trying to realize those ideas and has come close. And on a personal level, I would like to once again be the best in a competition that is extremely demanding to win. I believe that this group of football players has the weapons to go all the way.

First of all, it will be important to fit all the dice and remove the vanity on the side. Messi thinks it is possible.

– The spotlight is on us, but we are aware that there are a lot of good teams, such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, which always strives for the highest goals, then Inter, Bayern … I don’t know if I forgot someone. We are all in the same race. PSG has great individuals, but we have to get to know each other well in order to form a team. To win trophies, you need to play as a team. That makes me say that we are still one step behind the mentioned clubs. All of the above have more years of playing together compared to us. Well, now: I am convinced that it will be damn hard to beat us, if we become a real team.

– Everything is true. If you look at the individuals we have, it can be said that our club is one of the best in the world, but if the team is not good, it will be difficult to achieve our goals. It is also one of our great tasks. Messi had a chance to work with Luis Suarez throughout his career, so he used the opportunity to compare him with Killian Embape, who has similar characteristics.

– In years, ha-ha- ha … Lewis and I were younger when we started playing with Neymar. Today, Killian is younger than us. In addition, Suarez and Embape are different. Luis is a pure nine, a natural striker, efficient in the penalty area, used to shaking nets. Killian prefers to have the ball in his feet. It is extremely powerful and unrealistically fast. He will kill you if you leave him some space. They are both spectacular, but their qualities are different. Many criticize the Parisians for paying little attention to the defense, in the sense that they can score more goals ahead than they can receive back. The media in France have “done” three times several times due to laziness in defense.

– Question for the coach. He is responsible for balancing the team, installing the idea of ​​the game and coordinating our movements, so that we behave harmoniously. Of course, the three of us will have to be the first line of defense when we don’t have the ball, to make sure to return it to our possession as soon as possible and prevent our opponents from endangering us. Well, that’s why we will try to keep the ball as long as possible.

Although many will say that the relationship between Killian Embape and Lionel Messi is very bad , At the end of the interview, the Argentine once again explained why all this is untrue.

– Very good. I like him as a player. It is easy to find a common language with a quality football player. Killian speaks perfect Spanish, which makes it easier for us to communicate on the field. I just arrived, it’s early for conclusions, but I’m sure it will turn out well.

– Since I just came, I didn’t even have much space to talk to him on that topic and tell him what I think. I waited to see what would happen. I am glad that he stayed, he will be useful in our efforts to achieve our goals.

He was also asked what it is like to share the locker room with so many former Real players, since Sergio is currently playing in PSG Ramos, Kaylor Navas, Angel di Maria and Ashraf Hakimi.

– First and foremost, I have never seen myself in any other locker room. Even less with the mentioned football players. Our team is spectacular and I am very happy to name such a great player for my teammates. And, wonderful people.

Courier sports