TV3: Messi wanted to leave last summer and join Pep's Man City
The programme said he was afraid of a potential jail spell for tax crimes
In the end he reconsidered his decision after speaking with Bartomeu
FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was so worried about his tax problems he was at the point of leaving to join Man City last summer, according to TV3. They say he called the English team's coach, Pep Guardiola, and said he wanted to join him in Manchester.
On July 6, 2016, Jorge Messi phoned Ferran Soriano, Man City's executive director, and told him that Messi wanted to leave Barcelona. Four days later, Pep Guardiola, after landing at Man City, received a call from the club saying that Messi wanted to see him in person.
The Catalan coach, who was in El Vendrell for a family celebration, headed immediately to Castelldefels to meet the Argentine forward. He told him that he felt "trapped". The player was upset about the idea of going to prison for 21 months for three tax crimes. The court made the sentence public on July 6.
Jorge Messi phoned Josep Maria Bartomeu, Barcelona's president, to inform him of the situation. The chief told him that the club would not let Messi leave. A few days later Bartomeu met Messi face to face in Castelldefels and told him that he could not think about letting him go.
After a lot of twists and turns on the decision, Messi eventually decided to stay. In fact, he came back from holiday a week early to get fit for the new season.
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