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Exactly three years ago, on August 8, 2021, Lionel Messi confirmed in an emotional press conference that he will be leaving Barcelona after 17 years at the Catalan club. On the three-year anniversary of the announcement, fans on social media reacted to a video of Messi crying during the press conference.
Although Messi had reached an agreement with Barca regarding a contract extension, the club did not receive La Liga's approval to add him to their wage bill.
Some fans blamed Barca president Joan Laporta for the incident, while others expressed how it still haunts them today. Here are some of the reactions:
"This is heartbreaking" a fan wrote.
"I hope Joan Laporta will not be there the day Messi gets his honoring & proper farewell at the new Camp Nou. Snake used Messi for his own politics," a user added.
"Whenever i watch this video. My heart always breaks into pieces. I never thought that as a barca fan we have to be the part of this moment. And never thought the story will end like this," a fan claimed.
Other fans claimed that what happened was for the best as Messi went on to win the World Cup with Argentina after his departure from Barcelona.
"Worked out perfectly for Messi and not so much for Barca," a fan wrote.
"Barca made the best decision. Laporta saw the over reliance on messi needed to stop. We are getting over it now," another user commented.
"Messi would have never win the World Cup staying at Barca tho," another stated.
Messi left the club as a free agent and joined Paris St-Germain on a two-year deal before moving to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023.
When transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recalled Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona
In an interview on Rising Baller's YouTube channel in July 2024, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano was asked which was the most dramatic transfer saga he had covered. The journalist quickly mentioned Lionel Messi's departure from Barca in 2021.
Romano said that it was a done deal for Messi to extend his contract at the club. However, on the day he was supposed to sign the contract, president Laporta told him that it could not be done because of La Liga's Financial Fair Play rules.
“The most dramatic saga has been Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for sure. I still remember that story was insane because, trust me, it was really a done deal for Messi to extend his contract with Barcelona," he recalled.
"Messi was in Barcelona in the morning to sign the contract, coming back from holidays after the Copa America. Even the official announcement was ready and scheduled for 8 PM at Barcelona. I have all the proof behind this big story of him extending the contract," Romano added.
The Italian journalist recalled that the hours after Lionel Messi was informed about him not being able to stay at Barca were "insane." La Pulga was reportedly told by Laporta that they did not have La Liga's green light to extend and register his contract and the only way out for him was to leave the club. Romano said:
"Imagine the shock, those 4-5 hours at the Barca headquarters was crazy... Messi was Barcelona and that moment was really insane."
