Lionel Messi has outlined his difficult early months at Barcelona but reiterates: “I was always clear that I wanted to stay.”
He was speaking on an upcoming documentary titled “Becoming Leo Messi” which will delve into his career to date, of which he is the sole protagonist.
The documentary is being made by 'OTRO' and outlines Messi’s upbringing and initial move to the Catalan capital from his native Argentina.
He describes how difficult the opening months at the club were for a variety of reasons, including his family being unable to settle and having to return to South America, leaving him with a decision to make.
“I was in Barcelona for about 15 days and then I returned to Argentina. After a few months they called me and I said yes, that I was willing to come. Let me come here and start my dream in Barcelona. It was a happiness for me and my family,” Messi explains, as cited by Diario Sport.
“I was looking forward to knowing if I was going to come here. The truth is that at that time I did not understand the great change I was going to be making. I was a boy. All I wanted was to come to Barcelona and play. I was not aware of the difficulty of changing and how hard it was going to be for me and my family.
“At the start…the truth is that it was tough, it was hard. The most beautiful thing is to play and not being able to play was really difficult. In the middle I went through injuries too. When I was able to play here after two, three or four months, I got injured in my first game and I was out for another month and a half.
“They were hard times, but it never crossed my mind to go home. My brothers had gone to Argentina, my sister's adaptation was the toughest of all, she was the smallest and it was hard for them, school and everything…they decided that my mother would go to Argentina with her.
“I was alone, and they asked me what I wanted to do, if we stayed or left, that the decision was mine and that he would accompany me. I was always clear that I wanted to stay.”
