
John explains why he chose Milan over Barcelona
Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi, who announced Wednesday that he is finalizing a deal to spend the next stage of his career with Inter Miami, explained the reasoning behind his decision in an exclusive interview with Mundo Deportivo, a Barcelona-based sports media outlet.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-German expires June 30, and word was that his first choice was to return to FC Barcelona, where he spent 21 years since joining as a teenager. He also had a $500 million offer to play for Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal.
He explains in the interview why he decided to accept the Inter Miami offer. According to a source with knowledge of the contract terms, it is a two-and-a-half-year deal with an option for 2026. His financial package includes salary, bonuses and equity in the team and is valued at $125 million to $150 million. He also stands to earn considerable income from MLS sponsors Apple and adidas, who are working on deals with him that would pay him based on league growth he helps generate.
This is what Messi said when questioned why he failed Barcelona!
Yes, the truth is, I obviously really wanted to, very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced and the exit I had, I did not want to be in the same situation again. Didn’t want to wait to see what would happen and leave my future in someone else’s hands, so to speak. I wanted to make my own decision, thinking about myself, about my family. Although I heard that it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for him to return, there were still many other things that had to be done. I heard that they had to sell players or lower player salaries, and the truth is that I didn’t want to go through that, or be responsible for something that had to do with all that. I have already been accused of many things that were not true in my career at Barcelona, and I was already a bit tired, I did not want to go through all that.