I am staying at Barcelona to avoid going to court- Lionel Messi

Thomas Freeman Yeboah 16:34 - 04 September 2020

Lionel Messi shows his sixth Ballon d'Or to fans at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona in December last year

Lionel Messi has rescinded his decision to leave Barcelona.

The Argentine had earlier told Barcelona of his intention to leave the club after 15 years with the Catalans.

He has, however, announced that he is staying at Barcelona for the upcoming season.

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi told Goal.

"Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.

"And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700m (£624m) clause, and that this is impossible."

"There was another way and it was to go to trial," he added. "I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived.

"It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.

"Barca gave me everything and I gave it everything. I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court."

Messi had informed the club of his desire to leave via an official note last week, and did not turn up for the team's first five days of pre-season training under new boss Ronald Koeman.

However, it is understood, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, the clubs interested in signing him this summer, didn't want to get involved in a transfer that would be decided in court.

Messi's decision to stay at Barcelona after club President Josep Bartomeu told him to do so is a big boost to the Catalans ahead of the 2020-2021 season.

He is now expected to return to pre-season training ahead of the start of LaLiga Santander this month.

Earlier on Friday, Messi had reiterated his position via a statement through his father, saying that he believed his release clause was no longer valid.The 33-year-old can leave the Catalan club for free when his deal expires on June 30, 2021.