"We didn't want to sign the CVC deal to be able to register him because we considered it detrimental to the club. Barça is above players, managers, or presidents, and we couldn't do it. That's what has made me the saddest as president. These are disappointing moments, like when Koeman, Xavi, Pique, and others left. These are difficult moments, but we couldn't take it on. The amounts in his contract, if we renewed it, were unaffordable, and that's why he couldn't continue."
"I knew both Messi and other players from my first term, and you love and appreciate them. The relationship with Messi is not what it used to be. There was also an incident at the Ballon d'Or ceremony when I went to greet him and he felt that we shouldn't greet each other. Since then, there has been some rapprochment and we hope that this will continue in the future."
Barcelona refused to sign a CVC deal to be able to register Lionel Messi because the deal was considered detrimental to the club. The club placed institutional and long-term financial health above retaining a player, deeming Barça superior to individual players, managers, or presidents. The figures in Messi's proposed renewal were unaffordable under the club's constraints, preventing his continuation. Strong personal bonds existed from earlier years, and the separation was painful on a human level. An incident at the Ballon d'Or where a planned greeting was rebuffed deepened distance between Messi and club leadership. Some rapprochement has taken place with hope for future improvement.
Read at Barca Universal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]