Lionel Messi has revealed he was not happy during the summer, saying the drama surrounding his attempted exit from Barcelona this summer affected his form at the start of the season.
The 33-year-old Argentina forward told Barcelona he wanted to leave after nearly two decades at the club, sending a document, via burofax expressing his desire to activate a release clause that would end his contract.
After days of back-and-forth over the issue, Messi agreed to stay, with Barcelona and La Liga insisting the forward’s €700m release clause had to be paid in full to trigger a move.
He said “What happened before the summer, what with how the season ended, the burofax and all the rest of it. I ended up carrying that over a bit into the start of this season. I’m feeling good at the moment, I’m raring to really fight for everything that lies ahead. I’m excited. I know that the club is having a tough time of things, both on and off the field, and everything related to Barcelona is a bit tricky right now, but I’m feeling hungry”