Messi interview: I expected to spend my entire European career at Barcelona, ​​but I didn’t expect Alba to retire

Today, "Daily Sports" released an exclusive interview with Messi two weeks ago, in which Messi talked about Barcelona, ​​Paris, Inter Miami and many other issues.

Q: What do you think of From Barcelona with Love?

Messi: This is great. Everything that comes from Barcelona, ​​from the people, about the times we lived through, always makes me a little nostalgic and very emotional.

Q: This is not a formal interview, but a conversation. The reason is that "Daily Sports" will award him the "Most Fan-Loved Player in the History of Barcelona" award next week. The deep emotion is evident when the memories come back to me...

Messi: To be honest, I miss all those moments very much. Maybe I enjoy that time more now than I did at the time. Because of the hectic pace of the day-to-day and the constant flow of games and always having to think about the next game, it makes it impossible to really enjoy what we are doing at the time. Now, as time has passed, when I can look back at those years from a distance with a calmer and more relaxed state of mind, I can actually appreciate it more.

Q: Will you be immersed in what happened at that time?

Messi: I do like to look back at those times because they were obviously very meaningful and crucial experiences. The scenes that appear in the video are critical moments when important events occurred. These are beautiful moments worth remembering.

Q: People haven’t forgotten you, that’s very clear.

Messi: I think I talked to you once. I had a strange feeling in my heart after leaving because of the way everything happened, because the last few years of my career were spent playing during a pandemic and without fans. My farewell was not how I had imagined or dreamed it would be after dedicating my life there. Like I said, I had a dream to spend my entire European career in Barcelona and then come here (to the United States) like I am now because that was my plan and my desire. Well, that goodbye was definitely a little weird because of the situation and everything. But, well, I believe the fan love will always be there because of what I said, because of everything we've been through together.

Q: It lasted for a long time...

Messi: I think, I stayed in the first team for 16 years. If you include the time when I first arrived at Barcelona when I was 12 or 13 years old, the total is 20 or 21 years. It was a long time and encompassed so much life, so obviously this friendship will last forever.

Q: The years have passed and it seems that the club has new players and new hopes, but the love and passion for the impact you have had on so many people remains. Because you have influenced many people, some people have your image and your name tattooed on their bodies.

Messi: Yes, it is always like this in football. There may be new players, new faces, but history will never be forgotten, not just by me but by everyone who has played for the club. There are a lot of really important people who contribute to the club and help it continue to grow.

Q: You will always be fondly remembered and this cannot be erased. The saddest moment, you've mentioned it, but what was the happiest moment?

Messi: It’s hard to choose just one. Thank God for the many moments I have been blessed to experience. I don’t know, usually when we think about happiness, we think about championships, achievements, important things we achieve. But the first six trophies with Guardiola was extraordinary, as was the last Champions League with Luis Enrique. I don’t know, it’s hard to pick just one moment.

Q: I have experienced a lot...

Messi: I cherish everything I experienced in that era, my growth as a person and a player. That's it, I value it all. When I see images and memories, that scene, that season, our experiences all come back to me and I cherish them all.

Q: Happiness is more than just a championship. If you don’t look at winning, what do you value most?

Messi: Being part of this club, coming there as a child, growing up and spending almost my whole life in Barcelona. I thank God for bringing me to that place when I was a child, I thank my children for being born in that city, I thank the whole club and the whole city because I left Argentina as a child and grew up there and spent almost my entire life. There are so many things, not just about the club but about the city, that I cherish so much.

Q: Are you still paying attention to Barcelona? In Paris you said you were paying attention, and I know you are paying attention here too.

Messi: Yes, yes, of course, not to mention now that we have several people together and we often talk about all the situations that happen in the club, the results of the games and the way we play.

Q: You said you were very happy in Barcelona, ​​but you didn’t specifically say that when we last met in Paris. Now it looks like you've regained some, or a lot, of that joy that comes from your performance and results.

Messi: It looks like Paris is like hell, but that’s not the case either.

When I say I'm not doing well, it's because I don't feel good about the things I do, the things I love to do - playing football, daily life, training, games - because I feel like I'm not doing well.

But other than that, we had a really good experience on a family level to be honest, Paris is a great city and we enjoyed it very much.

It was the first time we left Barcelona. Everything was new to us, so it was difficult because leaving was not something we planned, it was an unexpected thing. But honestly, I don’t feel good doing the things I love on a day-to-day basis.

And in Miami, we are fine, we enjoy the city and daily life. Like I just told you, life here is very much like our life in Spain, the clubs are close, the children's schools are close, everything is convenient and comfortable. We live a little further away from the city. To be honest, Miami is beautiful, but the traffic is quite congested.

Q: How did you adapt to MLS?

Messi: Well, we enjoy our daily life, it’s a different experience, more relaxed, there’s not so much pressure, there’s no pressure to win all the games and achieve all the goals.

Obviously we want to win, but the pressure is different, which also makes life more relaxed. We can also enjoy our family and children more, be able to come to training, watch games with our families, spend more time at home in daily life, and don’t have to think too much about football when we get home but think about other things.

Whether you want to or not, it makes you live life in a different way because I used to be emotionally affected by game results and daily rhythms, well, sometimes I would go home in a bad mood and it was different. So we're fine here.

Q: I have something curious. Sometimes as you get older, it's easy to relax a little or lower the intensity, but you end up being the top scorer in the league and winning the Golden Boot for it. You come to a team that was originally ranked last and now is capable of competing for a championship. From the Spanish point of view, what we see is still Messi's goal, as if we are talking about a young genius. What drives you and keeps you at the top?

Messi: In the final analysis, this is what I have been doing my whole life since I was a child, and what I love most: I like playing football and competing, and I hate losing to anyone.

Every time I step on the court it’s to win, or to try. I love competition and it’s a challenge for me and the guys I come with. We came to a club that was only a few years old and was growing. My challenge was to help it become a competitive championship team and grow with it, and I think we did that.

Q: You lost two of your friends who came here together? (Referring to the retirement of Alba and Busquets)

Messi: It feels very strange.

Q: What does "very strange" mean?

Messi: To be honest, especially Alba's situation is very strange because we did not expect him to make this decision. As for Busquets, we talked more before and he was already thinking and talking about it, but Alba’s decision was sudden and we didn’t expect it.

One day in the locker room, he caught us and said he was ready to announce (retirement) without any previous talk or discussion. It was sudden and even more surprising to us. But yeah, it's a pity because besides the chemistry on the court, we're also good friends. When we started our trip to Miami together, we were very emotional watching each other gradually approach the end of their careers.

We are of the same generation of players and have been together throughout our careers, so it was great to be able to share time together in the last few years.

Q: In the near future, the World Cup is just around the corner. I think this makes you yearn for it, right?

Messi: Yes, of course, this is a special World Cup. It is always special to be able to participate in important and official games with the national team, especially the significance of the World Cup and after having already won it once. But like I just told you, I don't want to be a so-called "burden." I want to feel good physically and be confident that I can help the team and contribute to the team. Our season is different from Europe. There will be a pre-season preparation period among us, and there will not be many games before the World Cup starts. It depends on the day-to-day situation, whether I really feel good physically, whether I can reach the state I expect and participate in it. But obviously, I know that this is a World Cup, it's very special, and the World Cup is the biggest sporting event. So I am yearning for it, but I will pay attention to my status day by day.

Q: Finally, is there any message you would like to convey to people in the football world, especially those in Barcelona?

Messi: I am very eager to return (Barcelona), we miss Barcelona very much. The kids always talk about it, and my wife, we always talk about Barcelona, ​​and we have the idea of ​​going back to live.

There's our house there and everything, so that's our wish. I'm very keen to go back and see the new Camp Nou when it's built because I haven't been back to the Camp Nou since I went to Paris and then they moved to Montjuïc (Olympic Stadium).

It will feel a little strange to be back in the new Camp Nou, it will be exciting to see it because the last time I saw it was so long ago, it will be exciting to relive and reminisce about all the past, even if the stadium is different. Thank you all for your consistent love. In addition to gratitude, I am grateful.