Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain: live updates, rumors as Barcelona bid farewell ahead of PSG move



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Lionel Messi bid farewell to Barcelona after a tearful press conference at Camp Nou which saw his teammates yesterday and today witness an emotional match, even with the international’s gigantic trophy Argentinian on display and heartbroken fans on the streets outside.

Paris Saint-Germain are now leading the hunt for the 34-year-old’s signing after Barca’s financial woes shattered a precedent agreed five-year contract extension due to strict La Liga salary cap rules which dictated that the new deal could not be signed. Messi’s previous contract expired at the end of June.

“After 21 years I am leaving,” Messi said. “I can’t tell you that in a few years we won’t come back because this is our home. I promised my children. So many beautiful things have happened, some bad, but it all got me. helped me grow and improve and make me who I am.

“The truth is, it’s very difficult for me. I’ve spent my whole life here, I wasn’t really prepared. It’s our home, we’ve always overcome our well-being and it’s our home. .

“I gave my all for this club and I’m leaving happy with my job for the club. I would have liked to say goodbye in a different way. I never imagined my last day – I would have liked to do it with from the fans on the pitch. I would have loved to hear a final standing ovation from them. “

Barca president Joan Laporta revealed on Friday that the club would have spent 110% of their annual income on player salaries if they had kept Messi, despite the greatly reduced rate in his previously agreed five-year contract.

Accepting La Liga’s proposed sale of a 10% stake in the competition to private equity firm CVC would have allowed Barca to retain their all-time best player, but they are refusing to back the deal.

Laporta has been keen to blame the club’s financial chaos on the doorstep of his predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu and revealed that Barcelona are set to lose nearly $ 600million for the 2020-21 season.

On Sunday afternoon, as Fabrizio Romano reported, Messi is set to join PSG after Jorge Messi received the official contract the same morning after talks since Thursday with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner ready to accept the descent’s proposal. giants of the League 1. Once the final details have been settled.

This is the final chapter in a saga that began a year ago when Messi first revealed he wanted to leave the only club he had ever played for.

Although he finally gave in to suing Barcelona to get out of the last year of his contract, his contractual situation was never fully resolved.

Even though it seemed that the election of Laporta to return to Barcelona as president Messi was likely to stay, details were never fully worked out and now it looks like La Liga rules continue to stand in the way.



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