Leonardo: “I'm not hiding it, we contacted Messi before …”

For Leonardo, PSG sports director, the signing of Messi was conceived in a “perfect way”. The Brazilian attended Canal Plus France in the preview of yesterday's match against Bruges and revealed all the secrets of an unimaginable operation at the beginning of the year. He also stressed that the Parisian team had already started conversations with the Rosario environment before their incorporation materialized.

“I cannot hide from you that there were contacts before the signing was made. But always after the month of January, when he only had six months left to finish the contract.or. We never contacted Messi before January 2021, that I can assure you, “Leonardo said to the microphones of Canal Plus France when asked about the first contacts with Messi.

In addition, he added that Messi's idea was always to stay at Barcelona: “I think Messi's idea was to stay at Barcelona. Honestly, Messi's desire was to renew and end his career at Barça. But the story of Messi at Barça ended and we arrived. The desire to come that he showed us motivated us to do so. To imagine a player like Messi wearing the PSG shirt is a huge and very beautiful thing. “