There was something of the heist movie about it, the story taking shape one man at a time, like the opening scenes from a film. First Andrés Iniesta announced he was leaving Japan. Then Sergio Busquets bade farewell to Barcelona. The next day, so did Jordi Alba. That afternoon the Paris Saint-Germain head coach, Christophe Galtier, confirmed Lionel Messi was going. All in quick succession. It was easy to imagine a plot being hatched, to hear the deep voice of the Hollywood trailer: they had been the best; now the old gang was getting back together for one last job.
These are not just former teammates, who produced arguably the finest football seen; they're best mates too, people Busquets says share "the same culture, the same jokes, the same upbringing". At Busquets's goodbye at the Camp Nou on Thursday, Messi signed off his video message with an "I love you", while Busquets describes the Argentinian not only as the "best player of all time" but the pair of them as "personalities that fit, who trust each other". Iniesta refers to Busquets as a "brother". And Busquets, asked which player he could most confide in over the years, who's the funniest and who the grumpiest, cracks up when the answer to all three is Alba.
Sorted, then. All it needs is a name, this crime caper. Busquets laughs. "Nah," he protests, smile stretching across his face. "I still don't have plans. I do have three or four options but nothing is done. I don't want to play for any European team: it would be hard to face Barcelona with anything serious in play, and I want to live a calmer, more relaxed experience. I would like things to get sorted quickly over the next two or three weeks. The decision will be mine and my family's, just ours. All of us have decisions to make and maybe we will coincide, but there's no plan."
This story is from the June 06, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 06, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Calvert-Lewin ruins title dreams of reckless Reds
The final Merseyside derby of Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool reign might well prove the final blow to his dream of saying goodbye with the Premier League title.
West Ham hold positive talks with Lopetegui
West Ham have held productive talks with the former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui over replacing David Moyes this summer.
Fernandes inspires comeback win to ease pressure on Ten Hag
With 80 minutes gone Bruno Fernandes collected a Kobbie Mainoo pass and with a swish of his left foot fired a laser past Wes Foderingham and Manchester United were 3-2 ahead. The question, now, was could they at last hang on a lead.
Overton injury gives England headache for T20 World Cup
England have seen their selection for the T20 World Cup complicated by a back injury to Jamie Overton and now face an anxious two-week wait to discover the full extent of the allrounder's problem.
Raducanu struggles to find energy as she crashes out to qualifier
The great challenge of professional tennis is not just performing at a high level but doing so week after week, regardless of the conditions, for a sustained period of time.
How's stat? Why head-to-head battles only add to the rich tapestry of Test cricket drama
Let's start, as all bad pieces of writing should, with a cliche: cricket is an individual sport dressed as a team game. Every match comprises hundreds or thousands of contests between a batter and a bowler.
Designer labels owed millions after collapse of Matches
Designer brands including Gucci and Anya Hindmarch have been left millions of pounds out of pocket and some customers will not get refunds after online fashion site Matchesfashion collapsed owing more than £210m last month.
Bend it like the Mona Lisa? Yoga in Louvre to celebrate Paris Olympics
The Louvre museum in Paris is planning yoga and sport sessions in its galleries as part of a city-wide cultural programme before this summer's Olympics.
Spears taken by Captain Cook returned to Aboriginal owners
Four spears stolen from Kamay, now known as Botany Bay in Australia, by Captain James Cook and his crew have been returned to their traditional owners after more than 250 years.
Idaho's abortion rules too tough to comply with federal health law, supreme court told
The US supreme court faced its second judgment on abortion rights in the space of a month yesterday, as judges prepared to rule whether the state of Idaho's tough rules on the procedure breached a federal law.
