September 30 – Lionel Messi has drawn a line under his much-publicised fallout with Barcelona insisting he always had the club’s “best interests in mind” throughout the summer despite all the attention over his future.
Messi rocked world football by telling Barca last month that he wanted to leave after that 8-2 Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich saying he intended to utilise a clause in his contract which he and his representatives claimed allowed him to go a free transfer.
Barca thought differently and Messi, who had been linked with Manchester City, remained rather than take the club to court after being told any potential suitors would have to pay his 700m Euro release clause.
As recently as last Friday the Argentine superstar blasted Barca for “throwing out” his friend Luis Suarez but now wants to make his peace saying he “takes responsibility” for any mistakes he may have made in his treatment of the club where he has spent his entire career.
Speaking in his first interview since he announced he was staying at least until the end of his contract in June 2021, Messi told Diario Sport: “I take responsibility for my errors and if they existed, it was only to make FC Barcelona better and stronger.”
“After so many disagreements, I would like to bring an end to everything. We all have to be united and assume that the best is yet to come.”
“I wanted to send a message to all the socios and fans that follow us. If at any moment, any of them were annoyed by something that I said or did, let there be no doubts that anything I did was always with the club’s best interests in mind.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1735402348labto1735402348ofdlr1735402348owedi1735402348sni@w1735402348ahsra1735402348w.wer1735402348dna1735402348