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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Tom Cavilla

Lionel Messi admits Liverpool regret as Barcelona great confirms exit

Lionel Messi has admitted he is still not over Liverpool's historic Champions League comeback against Barcelona in 2019.

Jurgen Klopp's side famously overturned a three-goal deficit against the La Liga giants in the semi-finals of the Champions League during the 2018/19 campaign, winning 4-0 at Anfield in the return leg.

Doubles from Divock Origi and Gini Wijnaldum booked Liverpool's place in the final of the competition, with the Reds going on to secure a sixth European Cup after defeating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.

READ MORE: Norwich's preparations in chaos as star man a doubt for Liverpool

Many consider this to be Anfield's greatest night and it's certainly one match Messi has not forgotten about.

Asked if he had any regrets about his time at Barcelona in a press conference held at Camp Nou this morning, he said: “I would have liked to have tried to win 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."

Messi broke down into tears when discussing his Barcelona exit and admitted that he wanted to stay at the club.

He said: "The truth is, I don't know what to say.

"I have given lots of thought as to what I can say and the truth is that I can't think of anything. This is really difficult.

"My family and I were convinced we would stay here.

"I'm not going back. This is the end with this club. This is the most difficult moment in my career."

Quizzed on where he is now likely to end up, Messi added: "I've got nothing confirmed. I had a lot of calls and clubs interested. I've not got anything closed, but we're talking about a lot of things."

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