Outgoing Barcelona star Lionel Messi has revealed how Liverpool and Chelsea were responsible for his biggest regrets at the Camp Nou.
The Argentine forward has spoken about how the two Premier League teams inflicted the most painful exits upon the Spanish club in the Champions League.
Liverpool came from a 3-0 first leg deficit to progress to the semi-final in the European competition against Barcelona in 2019, while seven years earlier the Blues eliminated Barca.
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Messi lifted the Champions League just once in his last 10 years at the club and not at all since 2015, when they last appeared in the final of the competition.
It has been in the final four where Barca have so often fallen short in recent times, with their exits at that stage in 2012 and 2019 being painful for Messi.
Messi told reporters on Sunday when asked what his biggest regrets at the club were, he said: “I would have liked to have tried to won another Champions League.
“We got knocked out in the semi-final against Liverpool, which stopped us getting to another final.
“We got to the semi-final against Chelsea with Pep [Guardiola] and they prevented us from getting to a final. There could have been a time where we won another Champions League, but that’s football.”
And When asked to describe his most special memory at Barca, Messi said: “It’s difficult to choose just one moment. But maybe the time I made my debut. That was my dream come true.
“Everything that came later was amazing but I’ll always remember that moment that everything started.”
It was a tearful and emotional press conference throughout, with Messi stating that he believed he had done everything he possibly could have to stay at the club.
The Argentine said: “It’s everything that (Barca president, Joan) Laporta) said.
“We had everything agreed but, at the last minute, it couldn’t happen [Messi staying at Barcelona]. I’ve heard lots of things being said about me, this year I wanted to stay and I couldn’t. Last year I didn’t want to stay, and I said it.
“This year I wanted to stay. I did everything possible but the club couldn’t do it because of La Liga. “We have to take it and move forward.”
