Pedri: Messi s departure is very difficult for the club. He always wants to give the ball to Messi when he is pressed.

August 9th, Pedri accepted an exclusive interview with the team newspaper, and talked about Messi's departure from Barcelona in 2021.

- Compared to Messi's last season with the team (20-21 season), you look stronger and more cohesive. How did you deal with Messi's departure?

Pedri: "Messi's departure is very difficult for the club, especially because no one expected it. When I heard the news, I was in Japan for the Olympics, and honestly, it was hard for me to believe it. Realizing that he would no longer be with us was a shock because Messi had the ability to win games almost on his own, which changed everything."

- What memories do you have of him?

Pedri: "When I get the ball and two or three players pressing me, I always try to pass it to him. Because it's obvious that he will handle it better than me. In training, he accomplished something incredible and almost unreal, and only we, his teammates, were lucky enough to see it. That's crazy!"

- Since then, Barcelona has lost its former glory. The lineup's strength has declined and it can't even behaved in the Europa League... Have you ever thought about leaving?

Pedri: "No, never, because playing here was a dream I had since childhood. When a star of this level left, it was normal to go through a tough season or two and it took time to get used to it. We had a difficult time and it was painful for me to not be able to play in the Champions League. We successfully completed the reconstruction, we formed a new team, we got to know each other more and had the young talents who had the ability to change the game appeared. Now, we formed a really great team. I'm sure we'll reach a higher level."