“We are a weak team” - When Lionel Messi was self-critical of Barcelona after defeat at home
Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi once criticized his team after they were beaten by archrivals Real Madrid to win La Liga in the 2019-20 season. Messi's comments came after the Catalan side suffered a crucial 2-1 loss to Osasuna at home, while Los Blancos sealed their 34th league title after a 2-1 win over Villarreal.
La Blaugrana were not at their best in their 2019-20 campaign under coach Quique Setien, marking their first trophyless season since 2007-08. In that season, Barca faced their biggest loss in the Champions League, after a 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals alongside finishing second in La Liga. They were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-finals and the Supercopa de Espana in the semi-finals.
Speaking to Spanish TV after losing La Liga to Real Madrid, Lionel Messi admitted the Catalan side were a weak team, and said (via EuroSport):
"We are a weak team who can be beaten with enough intensity and enthusiasm. We have lost a lot of points which we shouldn't have done. We have been very inconsistent. We need to be self-critical, starting with the players, but also across the entire club. We are Barcelona, and we are obliged to win every game."
The 2019-20 campaign marked Lionel Messi's penultimate season with the Catalan club, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent in August 2021. The Argentine's unfortunate departure from his boyhood club came after the club was unable to renew his contract owing to financial constraints and La Liga's Financial Fair Play regulations.
"Lately I have not found happiness within the club" - When Lionel Messi opened up about wanting to leave Barcelona
In 2020, Lionel Messi had sent Barcelona a burofax, expressing his intention of leaving the club at the end of the season. The Argentine wanted to trigger a clause in his contract that would reportedly enable him to terminate his deal with the club.
However, Messi later changed his mind and opted to stay at the club and explained his decision in an explosive interview. Speaking about why he wanted to leave his boyhood club, Messi said (via BeIn Sport):
"I wanted to go because I thought about living my last years of football happily. Lately I have not found happiness within the club. I will continue at Barca and my attitude will not change no matter how much I have wanted to go. I will do my best."
He explained that Barcelona had no project or winning mentality, and added:
"The truth is that there has been no project or anything for a long time, they juggle and cover holes as things go by. As I said before, I always thought about the welfare of my family and the club."
Lionel Messi further mentioned that he eventually decided to stay after a new coach took over with new ideas. The Argentine added that he had always wanted to retire at Barcelona and wanted to continue working towards winning more titles with the club.
Since his departure in August 2021, Messi has expressed his desire to return to the Catalan side in several interviews. However, despite rumors linking him to a move back to Barca in 2023, he eventually joined MLS side Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain.