Lionel Messi talks Neymar, di Maria, the transfer, and his first trip to Barcelona

Lionel Messi’s contract renewal crashed and burnt within the span of two hours as Barcelona announced his departure from the club. The Argentine delivered a very emotional farewell press conference before completing his move to Paris Saint-Germain yesterday.

At the Parc des Princes, Leo sat down for an interview with BBC Sport, covered by Guillem Balague. The two discussed several things, including his move away from the club, how the saga unfolded, and what to expect from this season.

On his ‘trip’ to Barcelona and his trip from Barcelona

“The trip to Barcelona was a long time ago, I was a child and I used to sleep very easily. I ate something on the plane, and I didn’t feel very well, lay down on the seat and fell asleep for the rest of the trip to Barcelona.”

READ: Messi’s term at Barcelona: An escape from the mundane for Cules

“The trip to Paris was completely opposite. We couldn’t sleep in the past few days with so much anxiety, because of the uncertainty of what would happen next, especially after the club announced that I could not stay. We didn’t know what we were going to do.”

On how the saga went down at home

“My dad came home. He had been with Laporta all morning. When he came home, he obviously told me about it, and at that point, I felt really down. Then I had to prepare myself to tell my wife. Then we cried, and then we had to tell the children. We felt really low.”

“We had to cheer up to tell the children. We needed to find the right way because we had told them in December that we were going to stay in Barcelona. We knew how hard it was going to be, especially for Thiago.”

“Sometimes we think too much about things, but kids assimilate quickly. They can accept things in a way we don’t even imagine. Thiago, for instance, might keep it all inside, but at the moment he seems to be enjoying everything.”

“But I know him, he’s like me. He is sad inside without showing it. But this is not a serious situation. He will adapt. It’s going to be a good experience for him. He will grow personally. The five of us are going to be very happy, and enjoy ourselves at this club.”

On Neymar and the reunion

“Well, actually, when my dad started talking to Leonardo, the director of football at PSG, Neymar already knew because I started talking to him about it all.”

“I also told di Maria and Paredes that the possibility of coming to PSG was something I was looking into. And all of them, very quickly, opened the door for me and they were all very much looking forward to it happening.”

“We kept telling each other the steps that were taking place and every move that was happening, just to confirm finally if I was coming or not.”