"I was in shock for two minutes" - Jordi Alba recalls conversation with Lionel Messi following his exit from Barcelona
Barcelona defender Jordi Alba has given an insight into his conversation with former club teammate Lionel Messi after the Argentine's shock exit from Camp Nou in 2021.
The news of Messi leaving Barca due to the expiry of his contract was one that most people didn't see coming. Recall that due to financial difficulties which hit the Catalan giants in 2021, they were unable to extend the contract of one of the club's greatest players, Messi.
Speaking about the moment, Spanish international Jordi Alba, who was a long-term friend and teammate of Messi, revealed that he was in shock after hearing the news.
🎙️| Jordi Alba told @Chester_cuatro on Leo Messi's exit.
🗣️ "In the morning [on the day Messi's exit was announced] I was talking to him and he told me that he was going to sign [the renewal] and he was going to continue here." https://t.co/aHeDZWN4GO
The veteran left-back revealed that prior to the shocking news, he received assurances from the Argentine forward that he was going to extend his stay at Camp Nou. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
"Fatal, very bad. It was announced that morning I was talking to him. He told me that he came from Ibiza to Barcelona and he told me that he was going to sign and continue."
He continued:
"I remember that I was with my wife at my house and I saw the news, I didn't believe it. I was in shock for two minutes. I didn't believe it, it was a hard time, we had a magnificent relationship, but I couldn't believe that Leo was leaving Barcelona".
Alba went further to state that Messi had a bad time when he left Barca. He also admitted that the Argentine forward did help the Catalans win a host of trophies during his time at Camp Nou. Alba added:
"I called him and he told me that it couldn't be done, I didn't want to go into much detail either, because only he knows the truth and the club knows it. But it was a moment... There are many questions you can ask yourself, but... I don't have any answers."
He continued:
"I know he had a bad time when he left, very bad, but I didn't want to go into that. It's like a taboo, I know he had a very bad time, he had his children and his wife here and we have won many things thanks to him."
How Lionel Messi fared at Barcelona
Messi went on to become the club's all-time top scorer during his time at Barcelona, scoring a total of 672 goals in 778 appearances.
He also won 34 trophies with the Bluagrana, which is a club record. These include 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues.
Meanwhile, recent reports have linked the 35-year-old Argentine international with a sensational return to Barca this summer, two years after leaving Camp Nou.
Barcelona just want Lionel Messi back 🥺 https://t.co/NKMD1QRkAG
His contract with PSG is coming to an end this summer and there hasn't been any progress in signing an extension. This could leave the door open for Messi to leave the Parc des Princes and possibly return to Barcelona.
However, the French giants have the option of extending his contract by another year.