Xavi 'just so sad' for Messi following his PSG move

The two players were linchpins for the Blaugrana during their most successful era, and now both have departed Camp Nou.

Xavi Hernandez feels “just so sad” for Lionel Messi, who was unable to renew with FC Barcelona and ended up joining Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi became a free agent earlier this summer and was set to continue at Barcelona, with terms agreed between the club and the player and the extension planned. However, La Liga’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules prevented him from putting pen to paper on fresh terms with his boyhood club.

On Tuesday, Parsis Saint-Germain announced they’ve secured the signing of the mercurial Argentine on a two-year contract.

“I’m just so sad for Leo,” Xavi said in an interview with The Times. “It’s a pity to see he and the club couldn’t find a solution. I know that Leo wanted to stay, but in the end it could not be sorted.

“The only thing I can say now is that I will miss him a lot. It’s even hard for me to picture Messi with a shirt other than Barca’s.

“It’s sad for Leo, especially for how I saw him emotionally at the Camp Nou the other day, but for FC Barcelona as well.”