Messi reveals the truth behind 'brutal' transfer saga

Lionel Messi has opened up on the emotional moment he told his family that he would leave Barcelona, before the icon's sudden decision to stay in Catalonia, reports https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football.
Messi has reluctantly opted to stay in Catalonia after stunning the sport with his transfer request, but the Argentine's contempt for the Barca board is intact after their bitter clashes in the aftermath of a disastrous season.
A one-club-man, moving to suitors Manchester City would have meant huge upheaval for the Messi family, a factor that weighed heavily on the star.
'The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.
'Mateo is still little and he doesn't realise what it means to go somewhere else and make your life a few years elsewhere.
'Thiago, he is older. He heard something on TV and found out something and asked. I didn't want him to know anything about being forced to leave, to have to live in a new school, or make new friends.
'He cried to me and said 'let's not go'. I repeat that it was hard, really. It was understandable. It happened to me. It is very difficult to make a decision.'
The 33-year-old has three sons with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo, with Thiago aged seven, Mateo four and Ciro just two-years-old.
Despite having his young family settled in Barcelona, Messi decided to act on his footballing frustrations after Bayern Munich's 8-2 humbling of the Catalans in the Champions League semi-final.
The defeat was the culmination of miserable post-restart form, seeing Barca concede their La Liga title race with Real Madrid and end the season empty-handed as Quique Setien was sacked in the aftermath.
Few predicted that Messi would be in blue and red on day one of the 2020-21 LaLiga season, but for now the Argentine will be part of the club's rebuild.
'I love Barcelona and I'm not going to find a better place than here anywhere,' Messi added.
'Still, I have the right to decide. I was going to look for new goals and new challenges.
'And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything. My son, my family, they grew up here and are from here. There was nothing wrong with wanting to leave. I needed it, the club needed it and it was good for everyone.
'My wife, with all the pain of her soul, supported and accompanied me.'