Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed why superstar forward Lionel Messi chose to snub their offer and join Inter Miami instead, reported by goal.com. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was linked with a return to Barcelona after leaving PSG following a disappointing spell in the French capital. However, the Argentine instead chose to move to the United States to join Inter Miami, which came as a surprise to many.

According to Joan Laporta, the player and his father were keen on a return to Barca, but Messi's Parisian experience had left him with a sour taste. Laporta said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, “He told us that he decided to join Inter Miami because he had spent very difficult seasons in Paris, where he was under a lot of pressure, while in Miami, he would be calmer and could think about the national team.”

Messi, who had won everything there is to win with Barcelona and is regarded as a club legend, left Camp Nou last year to join PSG, where he was reunited with former teammate Neymar and linked up with superstar Kylian Mbappe. However, his time in France did not go as planned, as he was whistled by fans and even suspended for traveling to Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona had hoped to bring back their talisman, but Laporta claims that they did not want what happened last time to repeat itself. The Barca boss acknowledged Messi's decision to opt for some peace in Miami, but he was disappointed that the Argentine chose to turn down the chance to return to Camp Nou.

Messi has already landed in the US and is set to feature for David Beckham's Inter Miami against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup clash this month. While Barcelona is still reeling over the departure of their icon, they are preparing a grand tribute to honor the forward and celebrate his contribution to the club.

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