As well as praising the current young Barça stars, Argentinian star Messi has revealed his plan to go back to the Catalan capital.
Lionel Messi has described the current Barcelona team under Hansi Flick as “spectacular.” He added that he isn’t surprised by their performances, as they are drawing from La Masia, the famed youth academy that he himself graduated from, and are valuing these young players by following the example set by the team where the Argentinian number 10 shone.
Messi’s views on the current Barcelona team
“It’s a great pride to see how the first team is represented right now. This Barça team is spectacular, and it doesn’t surprise me. It’s nothing new; it’s been happening forever since I joined Barça at 13. It’s amazing that these kids have this opportunity,” Messi said in an interview on the program “El nou clam” on 3Cat, a digital platform based on Catalonia.
For Messi, this commitment to La Masia has been reinforced over the past two years. “When they are given confidence, they respond this way because they know the club better than anyone and have been playing this way since they were kids. If they are supported, these things happen, just like in our time,” said the current Inter Miami player.
The Argentinian, who left FC Barcelona in August 2021 after failing to reach a contract renewal agreement, reiterated that his family’s desire is to return to the Catalan capital at some point. “In our minds, the plan for the future is to return to live in Barcelona,” he said. “My kids, my wife, and I miss Barcelona a lot. We have friends and left many things there. My kids are Catalan, and I lived my whole life in Barcelona. I feel like I’m from Barcelona, and I miss it a lot. You never know where life will take you, but our intention is to live in Barcelona because it’s our home,” he concluded.