Lionel Messi's tearful farewell from Barcelona didn't have to happen
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
It had been almost three days since FC Barcelona stunned planet "futbol" by saying farewell to Lionel Messi, the 122-year-old club’s greatest ever player and widely considered the best of all time.
Yet it was still surreal to see a teary Messi, handkerchief in hand, stand at a podium Sunday to formally say goodbye after more than two decades in Spain.
"My family and I were convinced that we were going to stay here at home," Messi told a packed news conference inside the Camp Nou stadium. "That’s what we all wanted more than anything."
That’s what most fans around the world wanted, save those in Paris – ESPN reported later Sunday that Paris Saint-Germain has already agreed to a two-year contract with the Argentine superstar. The deal is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Sunday, though, was all about Barca. Messi and Barcelona became synonymous with each other as he led the already-storied club to the most glorious period in its history: 35 titles – including four Champions League crowns – in 21 years after arriving as a boy of 13.
He’s 34 now. This day was always coming eventually. It almost came last summer, when Messi tried to force his way out following a dispute with then-FCB president Josep Bartomeu. And it would’ve been sad whenever it happened.
But having gone down the way it did – against his wishes, because of new salary restrictions imposed on the club by La Liga – it was almost unbearable to witness.
"I’ve been here so many years, my entire life," he said. "We did everything we could because I wanted to stay. Last year I didn’t want to stay, and I said it. This year I wanted to stay and I couldn’t. … I’ve still not quite come to terms with the reality of being in this position and leaving this club and changing my life completely."
As he spoke, it was hard to shake the feeling that Messi had been betrayed. On Friday, Bartomeu’s successor, Joan Laporta, said that in a nutshell, gross financial negligence by the previous regime had left the club’s hands tied when it came to resigning Messi.
"The club, Laporta, they couldn’t do it because of La Liga," Messi said, adding later that he didn’t blame the new president or anyone else at Barcelona for the debacle.
You sure wouldn’t fault him if he did.
The truth is that Barcelona let this happen. It was avoidable. Messi should have been signed months ago. The fact that his last contract was allowed to expire in June played a major role in his exit because he’s now considered a new player who would need to be re-registered under the new guidelines.
Terms of a new five-year contract had already been settled, with Messi taking a 50% pay cut from his previous pact. But the delay proved to be insurmountable.
Messi said he was blindsided when Laporta told him.
"My blood ran cold because it was really sad, really difficult," Messi said. "Right up to now, I’m still trying to process it all. When I go home I’m going to still feel pretty bad about the whole thing."
That’s beyond sad. It’s shocking. If any player deserves to leave any club on his own terms, it’s Messi. He should have retired as a Blaugrana. He knows it. Everyone does.
Yet here we are.
If Messi had to leave – and again, he didn’t – PSG is probably the perfect fit on the field and off. He’s joining a legitimate Champions League contender. He’ll be reunited at the Parc des Princes with former Barca running mate Neymar and three of his national team teammates in Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes.
Messi, Neymar and French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe will immediately form the most fearsome front line in the sport.
The attacking style of play in Ligue 1 will be far easier on him physically compared to, say, England’s rough and tumble Premier League, which should mean a fresher Messi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. And living in the City of Lights sure beats Manchester.
Looked at those ways, maybe things aren’t so bad. The pressure on Messi to be a one-man show in Barcelona was immense. He didn’t look like he was having fun on the field in recent seasons. Still, it’s hard to square the Gulf state-owned PSG seemingly being allowed to sign whoever whenever it wants and Messi not being able to choose how his own story ends.
"The last years of my career I’m going to finish it my way, competing, fighting for titles," he said.
It just won't be in the city he swore will always remain his home.
Toward the end of his almost 40 minutes on the dais, it was almost as if Messi was consoling the fans. In a way, he was. His wife and three young boys – who were devastated last summer when Messi wanted out, part of the reason he returned – sat in the middle of the front row.
"Players come and go in the end," he said. "This club is more important than any one person. People will get used to it. At first, it will be weird, but in the end, they’ll get used to it.
"It’s going to be a difficult change, especially for my family," he added. "We need to accept it."
He’s right.
Until Sunday there was still a faint glimmer of hope that somehow Messi could return to Barcelona, that this couldn’t actually happen. That’s long gone now. It’s over.
But it didn’t have to end this way. And that’s the saddest part of all.
One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
