Just watched the whole interview.
Messi is far from perfect, and has many flaws, but he still is the greatest player in the history of the club, and has given 20 years of his life to this club. Hurts to see the board treat him like this
It seems people are unsatisfied with him no mattter what on this forum also.
What most people agreed on before this mess.
1. The board is toxic AF. Barto just wants power, has MD in his pocket and might even have hired a firm to make the players and Messi in particular look bad.
2. The sporting project is shit, and has been ever since the Rosell/Barto board took over.
3. Without Messi, we probably wouldn't even have won a Liga in the last 5 years, let alone reach the semi final of CL.
4. Messi had outstanding performances in the CL last year, and did more than enough, even on Anfield where he despite very limited opportunities, managed to create a handful of good chances for his teammates.
5. Messi has never been an leader, and is more of a silent type who prefers to stay low key and play ball.
Now, knowing all of this, how can people suddenly be so pissed at Messi wanting to leave? What exactly is he supposed to do? He has expressed his wish to leave to Barto througout the whole season, and was promised that they could make a final decision at the end of the season. Everything, contract expirations, leagues etc has been postponed/extended due to the most seriuos pandemic in a 100 years, and a clause from the contract of the club's most legendary player can't? Why aren't people focusing on how absurdly low our current board has sunk?
I feel like people are acting like how most are after a divorce. Suddenly,they only remember the other person for all the bad things. Suddenly Messi is a shit player, who shouldn't publicly complain, but also should have spoken out earlier and he has been shit ecer since 2015. It's not more than a year ago that he almost managed to carry this shitshow of a club past the at the time strongest team in the world.
Also, for people saying he's just talking bs and making power moves to get rid of Barto, isn't that what you've wanted the whole time? For Messi to step forward and try to overthrow this shit board?
Anyways, as said, just watched the whole interview, and I don't think it's a power move in any way.
Dude spent half the time talking about how much he owes to this club, and that he just wants the best for the club.
He says the last many years with no sporting project, humiliating defeats, shitty signings and overall and overall awful management from the club have been very hard.
It's been very difficult for him to decide what to do, and that the many accusations about him running the club and protecting his amigos has hurt him alot. (also think about it, do you really think Messi is behind our signings of the likes of Griezmann, Dembele, Gomes, Arthur etc?)
He says that he's been very open towards Barto that he probably would leave at the end of the season, and that Barto promised him that he of course would be able to so. A promise, that he obviously hasn't kept. An since the board won't accept his wish to leave, and has told him that he'd have to go to court, he is forced to stay. He says that he would never go to court against Barca, and that he loves the club and only want to exit on good terms.
He also repeats that he's been increasingly unhappy in the club the last seasons, and that his decision to leave has been underway for a looong time.
He also underlines that he just wants to spend his last years in a team that's at least competitive internationally, and be able to win throphies. He feels that his time is over at Barca, and that the team needs a serious rebiuld with new, young players.
He finishes of saying that he will of course continue to give his all to the club, and that he will always try to win no matter what.