Inter Miami star Lionel Messi says he ‘was not prepared’ to leave Barcelona in 2021 | OneFootball

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has explained that his life was turned upside down from one day to the next when he was told he could not renew his contract with Barcelona – 72 hours later, he was in Paris, ready to sign with Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi has opened up on how tricky it was to adapt to life at PSG in the past, and declared in a tearful press conference on his departure that he was leaving against his will. He gave an interview to Big Time, which was covered by Diario AS.

“The change was difficult when I went to PSG, because I was doing very well in Barcelona and I planned to stay there. I was not prepared to leave, everything happened very quickly, I had to rebuild my life from one day to the next. I got to know another league, another club, a new dressing room. It was a change that we were not looking for and that is why it was difficult at first.”

Equally, Messi missed home when he first moved from Rosario to Barcelona as a 13-year-old, and often shed tears for Argentina too.

“It was difficult for me when I arrived in Barcelona. I was a child and I had to adapt to new friends, new country, new city, new people, new school. It was difficult for me at first, but I thought I was doing what I wanted, playing football, in a great team like Barcelona and that made me able to move forward, it was impressive and I enjoyed it a lot. They have always treated me very well in Barcelona, ​​I am grateful to them.”

Messi also addressed retirement from Argentina duty, and said he would have hung up his boots had they not won the World Cup in Qatar. As it stands, he is taking things as they come, and not planning too much for the future – he also wants to continue playing at club level ‘a while longer’. “I still haven’t thought about what I’m going to do when I retire. Right now I try to enjoy the day to day, the moments, without thinking about what comes after.”

The 36-year-old is likely to lead the Albiceleste into the Copa America this year, fitness permitting, and it will take place in the USA this summer, with the final in his new hometown of Miami. Messi has been dealing with a chronic calf muscle problem, but it is not expected to keep him out long-term.