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Barcelona vows to give Lionel Messi 'proper tribute' after Argentine confirms Inter Miami move

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Lionel Messi confirmed that he would be moving to MLS side Inter Miami this summer, snubbing former club Barcelona in the bargain.

football Barcelona vows to give Lionel Messi 'proper tribute' after Argentine confirms Inter Miami move snt
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First Published Jun 8, 2023, 5:14 PM IST

After legenday forward Lionel Messi confirmed that he would be joining Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami CF instead of his old club Barcelona, the Catalan side responded with a statement wishing the Argentine well. 

There has been much talk about the 36-year-old's upcoming departure, with the Argentine World Cup winner also being connected with a massive £2 billion deal to join Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal. However, Messi revealed today that he would be heading to Inter Miami in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, as his historic £35 million-per-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is set to expire at the end of June. 

Also read: PSG star Neymar offers himself to Barcelona after Lionel Messi snubs club to join Inter Miami?

In a statement, Messi confirmed, "I'm not going back to Barça, I'm going to Inter Miami." Following his announcement, his previous club, Barcelona, with whom he spent 21 years playing and won 32 major championships, released a somewhat scathing statement wishing him well and insinuating that he was moving to a league "with fewer demands and less pressure."  

The club statement read, "On Monday, June 5, Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, informed Club president Joan Laporta of the player's decision to join Inter Miami, despite having been presented with a proposal from Barça, in consideration of the desire of both FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi for him to once again wear Blaugrana."

Assuring fans that they would give Messi a proper send-off after he missed out in 2021, the club added, "President Laporta understood and respected Messi's decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years. Both Joan Laporta and Jorge Messi also agreed to work together to promote a proper tribute from Barca fans to honor a footballer who has been, is, and always will be beloved by Barca."

Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo fans carpet bomb Lionel Messi with memes after Argentine joins MLS side Inter Miami

Fans of Messi have slammed Barcelona's statement, suggesting it was 'disrespectful'. It's worth noting, the World Cup winner won four Champions League trophies and 10 LaLiga titles while scoring 672 goals in 778 games across all competitions.

One fan wrote on Twitter, "United didn't even disrespect Cristiano Ronaldo in this way," while another added, "How are they throwing their greatest player ever under the bus like this?"

A third fan noted, "There are ways of honouring the greatest player to ever play for your club. This isn't one of them. It's not only a shot at the MLS but a direct shot at Messi."

Seven-time winner of the Ballon d'Or will now join David Beckham's Inter Miami CF after his departure from PSG was officially announced earlier this week. 

Messi acknowledged, however, that following his departure from the team in 2021, he did not want to return to Barcelona. Due to the financial difficulties the club has faced recently, the LaLiga champions were unable to afford to grant him a new contract, leaving the Argentine, who spent more than two decades with the club, "emotionally destroyed."

But earlier today, Messi acknowledged he didn't want to go back to the club for fear of seeing his future in doubt once more. 

"I really wanted [to return to Barcelona], I was very excited to be able to return, but after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again: waiting to see what was going to happen and leaving my future in hand from another," the Argentine stated.

Also read: Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Did David Beckham ruin Barcelona & Al-Hilal's party during World Cup 2022 itself?

"I wanted to make my own decision, thinking about myself, about my family. Although I heard that it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for him to return, there were still many other things that had to be done. I heard that they [Barcelona] had to sell players or lower players' salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor take charge of obtaining something that had to do with all that," Messi added.

Messi will now play for the MLS team led by Phil Neville, who was fired last week and is currently last in the Eastern Conference. According to reports, he will also sign a lucrative contract with the team that may make him a part-owner and provide him a cut of the MLS membership costs paid through Apple TV. 

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