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Lionel Messi's press conference statement at Camp Nou in full

Lionel Messi

Alkass Digital

The truth is don't know what to say. In recent days I have given lots of thought to what I can say and the truth is that I can't think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years being here, my entire life. I'm not ready for this. This year, my family and I were convinced that we were going to stay here, that we were going to stay at home. That’s what we all wanted, more than anything. We’d always made this our home, we were at home. The time we’ve had here, in the city and in the sport, has been amazing. But wow, today I have to say goodbye to all of this. I’ve been here so many years, my entire life here, since I was 13, after 21 years, I’m leaving with my wife with my three little Catalan-Argentine kids, and I can’t tell you everything that we’ve lived in this city, and I can’t say that in a few years we won’t come back because this is our home, and I’ve promised my children that. I’m just really grateful for everything. All my teammates, all my former teammates at the club, everyone that’s been ny my side. All the people, there’s so many people, some I’ve only met a few times, this club, I will always be so humble, have so much respect, and I want to say to everyone at this house for the luck that I’ve had to live so many experiences here at this club. So many beautiful things have happened, also some bad things, but all of this helped me to grow, helped me to improve, and make me the person that I am today. All of us said I gave everything for this club, for this shirt, from the first day I arrived to the very last. And the truth is that I am leaving. I am so grateful for the care that people have shown me, I’d love to be able to go in a different way. I’d never imagined having to say goodbye because I’d never thought of it. But I never imagined it this way. Especially, I imagined it with people on the pitch, the last cheers. We’ve not been able to play with public this past year because of the pandemic, and it’s been difficult not to hear their cheers, not to have them nearby, not to hear them shouting my name. And I leave this club now without seeing the fans for over a year and a half. If I’d have imagined it, I’d have imagined the Camp Nou full, being close to people and being able to say goodbye properly. But, it has to be this way. And I want to say again, I’m so grateful for all of the love everyone has shown me through these years cause I’ve had some such great moments here, as well as some bad ones, but the love people have shown me has always been the same. I recognise the love that I have for them and the club as well, and I hope that I could come back and be part of this club in any moment, in any way, and bring something to help this club be the best in the world. Honestly, I’m forgetting so many things that I wanted to say, but that’s all I can say right now. I thought about it a lot, but the words just won’t come to me, and the best thing now is to answer some questions. Thank you to everyone.