“I had everything at Barcelona”: Lionel Messi speaks about joining PSG

It is almost a year since Lionel Messi bid goodbye to Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain.

The 34-year-old, who had spent his entire career at Barcelona and established himself as one of the best in the world, was forced to leave the club after they were unable to renew his contract due to the financial problems and salary margin issues.

It was one of the greatest shocks ever in the game of football as nobody had envisaged Messi playing for a club other than Barcelona.

But, the reality of the situation was such that there was not much either party could do, even after Messi had been willing to reduce his wages by half.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or’s time in Paris was off to a dodgy start but he eventually found his footing and helped Les Parisiens lift the Ligue 1 title.

Now, speaking in an interview with TyC Sports, Messi has admitted that the transition from Barcelona to Paris has been very difficult for his wife and himself, after he spent the majority of his life in Catalonia.

“I had everything in Barcelona. I went to Barcelona when I was very young. I lived more in Barcelona than in Argentina. The truth is that I had no plans to change anything,” Messi said.

“Luckily the adaptation of the kids was good, but for Antonela and for me it was more difficult,” he added.

Messi ended his debut season in France with a return of 11 goals and 14 assists from 34 matches in all competitions, winning the Ligue 1 title in the process. However, he and PSG came up short in the Champions League, crashing out at the Round of 16 stage.