Lionel Messi talks about his decision to stay
Talking exclusively to Barca TV and Goal, Lionel Messi discusses his decision to stay at the club, but savages the current board.
Lionel Messi has revealed the heartbreak behind his decision to stay at Barcelona, despite wanting to leave the club for 'a long time'.
The Argentine said he put in his transfer request by fax to make it official because Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Barca president, was refusing to take his wishes seriously.
The 33 year-old insisted his decision had nothing to do with Barca's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, but was instead to make way for change at the club.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner said he would never take the Catalan club to court, despite disputing his 700 million euro release clause.
After spending 20 years in the Spanish city, Messi revealed his family begged him not to uproot their lives, impacting his eventual decision.