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Lionel Messi sheds light on his choice to forgo a return to Barcelona and opt for a move to Inter Miami instead. Despite the publicized desire of certain members of Barcelona's leadership to bring Messi back, the player discloses that there are individuals within the club who harbour reservations about his return.
The Argentine international confirmed today that he will be joining Inter Miami, despite interest from Barcelona and Al-Hilal. In an interview with the Catalan publication Sport, the 35-year-old discusses his decision to join the MLS side.
Messi elaborates on his reasons for not rejoining Barcelona, citing concerns about the potential strain he could place on their ongoing project as one of the factors. He acknowledges that there are members of the Barcelona board who share this sentiment and believe that his return would not be beneficial for the club.
"I'm certain that there are people on the board who didn't want me to come back, who believed that my return wouldn't be advantageous for the club," Messi states.
Weeks ago, there were reports suggesting that Barcelona sporting director Matheu Alemany disapproved of Messi's potential return, which was speculated as a possible motive for Messi considering a move to Aston Villa. Alemany's current stance on Messi's return, however, remains undisclosed.