Messi: 'Nobody asked me to play for free
"No one from Barcelona asked me to play for free," Lionel Messi said in his chat with Sport.
"The truth is that, as I explained on my way out, I did everything possible to stay, never at any time was I asked to play for free
"I took a cut of over 50% and I was willing to help the club even more. President Joan Laporta’s words hurt me - I did not deserve it,” Messi said.
Joan Laporta had said in a press conference he expected Messi to play for free.
The comment from Laporta painted the Barca legend in a dark light with some Cules going as far as asserting that Messi left Barca for money.
Source: Tribuna