Messi Breaks Down While Talking About His Exit From Barcelona

Lionel Messi broke down in tears on Sunday as he spoke about his Barcelona exit for the first time at a press conference.

After 778 appearances and a staggering 672 goals, Messi will move on from Barcelona with 10 league titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups among his haul of 35 trophies, said a report.

The legendary footballer of Barcelona struggled to hold himself together as he took the stage to say a few words.

He began the address by stating that he and his family had no intentions to leave and had been planning their future in Barcelona.

Messi emotionally confessed that this sudden turn of events took him by surprise and everything was in place for him to stay but then LaLiga rules changed everything.

He further admitted that he did not want to stay last year but this year he tried everything to ensure he stayed.

"A lot of things have gone through my head. I've still not come to terms with the reality of leaving this club now and changing my life. We need to accept it and move forward. The time when I made my debut, that was my dream come true and everything that came later was amazing. I will always remember that moment where everything started," said Messi.

He further added, "Honestly last year with all the nonsense with the Burofax I was convinced I knew what I wanted to say, but this year is not the same. This year my family and I were convinced we were going to stay here at home, its what we wanted more than anything."

"I did everything to stay here. I agreed to reduce my salary by 50 percent. We have had some good times and some bad times as well, but the love people have shown me has always been the same," the football legend said.

According to reports, Messi avoided speaking specifically about his future, saying he received offers from several clubs after the announcement that he would leave the Catalan club. When asked about Paris Saint-Germain, Messi admitted it was "a possibility."

Earlier on Thursday, Barcelona announced that it could not keep its greatest player because it wasn't able to fit a new contract within the Spanish league's financial fair-play regulations.

Also Read: Lionel Messi Exits Barcelona After 17 Years