Argentina captain Lionel Messi has given the strongest hint yet he could consider leaving Barcelona, saying in an interview published in Ole
newspaper on Tuesday “things can change a lot in soccer”.
The four-times World Player of the Year, who joined
Barca’s academy at the age of 13, has not been at his
scintillating best over the past 18 months and has
also had problems with the Spanish tax authorities.
Now 27, Messi probably has at least five years left at
the top of the game and if the right offer was m*de,
likely to be a world record fee in excess of 100
million euros ($125 million), it is not inconceivable he could quit Barca.
Probed about his future plans, Messi told Ole he was
living “in the present” and was focusing on winning
titles with Barca after failure to secure major
silverware in 2013-14.
“After that we’ll see,” he said, when asked if he was
still planning to stay at Barca for his entire
professional career.
“Things can change a lot in soccer. While I have
always said I would like to stay there (at Barca)
forever, sometimes things don’t work out the way you would like.”
Quizzed about whether he would choose to leave or
whether it would happen because of someone else’s
decision, Messi added:
“Yes, I have said it many times. If it was up to me I
would stay forever.
“But as I just said, sometimes not everything
happens in the way you would like.
“The more so in football, which is so volatile and
where so many things happen.
“It’s complicated, the more so during the moments
like those Barcelona is experiencing right now.”
Barca are second in La Liga, two points behind Real
Madrid after 11 matches, and have qualified for the
Champions League knockout round.
newspaper on Tuesday “things can change a lot in soccer”.
The four-times World Player of the Year, who joined
Barca’s academy at the age of 13, has not been at his
scintillating best over the past 18 months and has
also had problems with the Spanish tax authorities.
Now 27, Messi probably has at least five years left at
the top of the game and if the right offer was m*de,
likely to be a world record fee in excess of 100
million euros ($125 million), it is not inconceivable he could quit Barca.
living “in the present” and was focusing on winning
titles with Barca after failure to secure major
silverware in 2013-14.
“After that we’ll see,” he said, when asked if he was
still planning to stay at Barca for his entire
professional career.
“Things can change a lot in soccer. While I have
always said I would like to stay there (at Barca)
forever, sometimes things don’t work out the way you would like.”
Quizzed about whether he would choose to leave or
whether it would happen because of someone else’s
decision, Messi added:
“Yes, I have said it many times. If it was up to me I
would stay forever.
“But as I just said, sometimes not everything
happens in the way you would like.
“The more so in football, which is so volatile and
where so many things happen.
“It’s complicated, the more so during the moments
like those Barcelona is experiencing right now.”
Barca are second in La Liga, two points behind Real
Madrid after 11 matches, and have qualified for the
Champions League knockout round.
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