Lionel Messi is a new player for Paris Saint-Germain . It's all true: the Flea era at Barcelona is over.
And the blue and green fans believed it until the very end, even though the official announcement of the departure had been known for days. The enthusiasm was rekindled by a rumor from Spain that arrived overnight, after Leo's failed departure for Paris: "They are preparing a new last-minute offer ," read the Catalan portals.
The news was confirmed, but apparently there was nothing that could be done: Messi had already given his word to Neymar and his teammates at PSG and refused to backtrack, especially after the tears and emotional words he expressed at the press conference. Club and player remained firm on the farewell they had agreed on August 4th and 5th, during the meetings that definitively ended the Argentine's experience in Spain after a career spanning more than 21 years.
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Ultimately, Messi went to the only club that could afford him: PSG. As is well known, the club spared no expense this transfer window: from Donnarumma to Hakimi , including Wijnaldum and Sergio Ramos. Many free agents, it's true, but their salaries are astronomical. In Paris, Leo will sign a contract worth €35 million per year plus bonuses: a pretty good figure compared, for example, to that earned by Cristiano Ronaldo (his longtime rival) at Juventus (around €31 million annually).
Today, finally, was the decisive day. Leo left Barcelona, a city that has already begun "erasing" posters and billboards depicting him on the streets. Then the flight to Paris and landing in the afternoon: journalists who flocked to the French capital took the first photos of the Flea as a new PSG player, wearing the "Ici c'est Paris" shirt , the team's motto. In the evening, medical checks and the signing of the contract: it will be the number 30 shirt , like the one he wore in 2004, the day of his debut at Camp Nou.
Vincenzo Scarpa
