Paris Saint-Germain megastar Lionel Messi admitted with full candor that hoisting a fifth Champions League title was the primary, compelling reason for his move to the Parc des Princes club in the Parisian capital during the summer.
Messi, 34, won European club football’s most prestigious honor four times with Barcelona between 2006 and 2015 under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola. The Spanish juggernauts would’ve made it a fifth when they almost reached the final in 2019 when they won 3-0 with Messi scoring a spectacular free kick in the first leg of their semi-final against Liverpool at the Camp Nou.
They were subsequently Liverpool beaten 4-0 away in the second leg at Anfield with the Merseysiders going on to win the title at the expense of Tottenham that season.
Messi certainly has unfinished Champions League ambitions as he would be hopeful to get his hands on a fifth trophy, besides being anxious to totally wipe out from recollection the demolition of Barcelona in 2020 when an indestructible Bayern Munich pulverised the Blaugranas 8-2 into senseless submission in the last eight of a competition reconfigured due to the pandemic. Then too in 2021, Barcelona were eliminated in the last-16 by the Argentine’s current club, PSG.
In an interview with the Catalan daily newspaper Sport, Messi said: “PSG have a great team and I want it to be even better by winning the Champions League.
“PSG have come close a couple of times and this season we are among the favourites along with other teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.”
Noticeably and understandably, Messi neglected to mention his old club as among the frontrunners for the 2022 crown as in this season’s competition, Barcelona lie third in Group E after only one inglorious win from their three games. The side is also struggling badly in the La Liga, sitting ninth with 16 points from their 11 matches and are now anxiously hoping for former skipper and club legend Xavi Hernandes to replace sacked Dutchman Ronald Koeman.
And the 41-year-old Spaniard could get assistance from one of his old wingmen as Messi wasn’t shy in making his deep love for his old club and talked about a hopeful return some day after his playing days are over.
“I’d like to be a technical secretary at some point,” Messi told Sport.
“I’ve always said that I’d like to be able to help Barcelona in any way I can … being useful and contributing to the club’s success.
“If there’s a possibility, I’d like to go back to contribute in some way, because this is the club I love and I’d like it to continue to be good, to continue to grow and to continue to be one of the best in the world.”
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
