‘Nobody knows what really happened’ – Barcelona star still ‘shocked’ by Lionel Messi exit as Sergi Roberto reacts to rumours of reuniting with Argentine icon at MLS side Inter Miami

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner bid an emotional farewell to Camp Nou when reaching the end of his contract. He headed for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, with Barca unable to put fresh terms in place. Fellow La Masia academy graduate Sergi Roberto was left stunned at seeing the Argentine icon head for the exits, with the all-time great expected to retire as a one-club man.

Sergi Roberto has told the B3TTer podcast: “Leo Messi’s departure shocked me a lot. Neither I nor my team-mates expected it. We thought he was going to renew. It’s been a few years now, but nobody knows what really happened in those days. I thought he was going to play here his whole career. Leo Messi is the best player in the club’s history, in football history… You expect to see him the next day in training, but suddenly he’s not there. It’s like the club was starting from scratch. He was part of all of the good years for the club. You never see him talk about how he’s the best, how important he is to others. He always looks out for the team’s best interests.”

There have been suggestions that Sergi Roberto could reunite with Messi at MLS side Inter Miami, as his own contract at Barcelona runs down. The versatile 31-year-old said of potentially chasing the American dream: “With Xavi as the coach, I feel very comfortable. I have his confidence. At the end of the season, if the club is happy with me, I will continue. I’m talking to Barca. At the moment I’m not going to go to another team. Everything that is said about me going to Miami or Palmeiras… it’s all lies. It’s true that I would like to have experience in the MLS in the future, but it is not yet the time for it. At the moment I say that I want to stay at Barca. Maybe in a year, I will tell you that I want another experience in Europe or the United States but this will be in the future. I don’t think that will happen suddenly.”

Messi has already been joined in Florida by former Blaugrana team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Luis Suarez is expected to be the next ex-Barca superstar to make his way to DRV PNK Stadium, with the Uruguayan striker hitting free agency after severing ties with Brazilian side Gremio.