Lionel Messi has sent a touching message to former teammate Sergi Roberto, who bid a tearful farewell to Barcelona after almost two decades at the club. Sergi Roberto, 32, joined Barcelona’s youth ranks as a 14-year-old in 2006 and went on to make 373 appearances for the Catalan giants’ first team.
The farewell event for Roberto took place at the Auditorio 1899, near Camp Nou, on Tuesday. The entire first-team squad was in attendance, including new summer signing Dani Olmo, who is not yet officially registered as a Barcelona player. Also in attendance were club legends Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué and Xavi.
Roberto was moved to tears as he addressed the assembled crowd. During Tuesday’s event, a video highlighting Roberto’s career at Barca was projected on a large screen. The video featured countless stars who had long since left the club, and Roberto reacted by addressing the crowd and saying: “Now it’s my turn [to leave].”
Roberto also said he will be “eternally grateful” to the club for allowing him to enjoy many “unforgettable moments”. Club president Joan Laporta said: “Sergi Roberto has been an example. I can only say thank you for your commitment and your gratitude. Barça is, and always will be, your home.”
Although Barcelona’s top scorer Lionel Messi was not present at Tuesday’s event, he sent a message to Roberto via Instagram: “All the best in your new stage!! I wish you the best, Sergi Roberto!”
It is still unclear what Sergi Roberto’s next move will be. The midfielder reportedly turned down a move to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Roberto is understood to be more interested in reuniting with former Barca stars Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami. Italian Serie A club Fiorentina and English Premier League side West Ham have also shown interest in Roberto.
Despite having played most of his career as a defensive midfielder or right-back, Roberto scored 19 goals for Barca. His most memorable goal came against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League in 2017 to seal a 6-5 aggregate win after Barca were trailing 4-0. Roberto won the Champions League twice with Barca, in 2011 and 2015. He also helped Barca win La Liga seven times.
