All his now ex-teammates were present. Even former club legends, such as Xavi or Puyol, made the trip to the Auditorium 1899, where Leo Messi bade farewell to his long-standing club, FC Barcelona, on Sunday. And, in the wake, or even a little before, the tributes followed one another.
Blaugrana club legend Andres Iniesta, four-time Champions League winner with the Argentinian in Barça jersey, recalled fourteen years of “magic moments” and added that seeing Messi “at Camp Nou with another jersey ”was hard for him to design. Current coach Ronald Koeman tweeted that, for him, “it was hard to realize that you [Messi] would no longer play for the club ”.
“An incredible person”
“Very sad to see a very moved Lionel Messi say goodbye to FC Barcelona, tweeted the former center forward Gary Lineker, who played three seasons under the colors of Blaugran between 1986 and 1989. No player in the history of this sport has generated so much happiness, so many unforgettable moments, so much success with a club. “
💙❤️ 💫 pic.twitter.com/uNOkXZm9t6
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 8, 2021
“When I was a child, I enjoyed watching all your games with my brother on television in our room, tweeted the Dutch international Frenkie De Jong, now ex-partner of Lionel Messi. When I arrived here two years ago, I discovered in you an incredible person. It was fantastic to play alongside the best player in history. “