Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman did not want Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona.

He wanted the Argentina superstar, who he described as the best in the world, to sign a contract extension at Camp Nou.

Messi bid Barcelona a tearful goodbye in the summer of 2021 after spending 17 years at the club.

His departure was heavily linked to financial turmoil at the club and the superstar headed to Paris Saint-Germain.

Koeman was the manager at Camp Nou when Messi departed and told then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu to convince the forward to continue in Catalonia.

In the “FC Barcelona, to new era” documentary, Koeman was captured telling Bartomeu:

“We both have to tell Leo Messi to continue. I want the best player in the world to stay.”

However, it did not go the way the Dutch coach wanted.