Messi: Barcelona 'has given me everything'

BUENOS AIRES - Lionel Messi has conceded that he is less likely to finish his career in Argentina, describing Barcelona as a city that has given him "everything".

Messi has long expressed a desire to play for Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys, where he played at youth level before moving to Catalonia with his family at age 13.

"I always say that I don't want to leave here, I have no thoughts of moving," the 32-year-old said in an interview with Argentina's TyC Sports.

"I have the dream of being able to play for Newell's in Argentina, but I don't know if it's really going to happen because I have a family that is ahead of my desire.

"It's a dream I've had since I was little, but I have a family, I have three children, I live in a place that has given me everything and where I am calm and can give my children a spectacular future.

"We think much more about that than my desire of playing football in Argentina. I will try to convince the family, because today we have to convince the children too."

Messi described Argentine football fans as even more passionate than those in Spain and labeled the rivalry in derbies such as Boca Juniors-River Plate as "madness".

"I would like to have played in Argentine football in general," said the Barcelona and Argentina national team captain. "I always went to the stadium with my old man, the crowd was impressive. Besides, playing in one of those Clasicos must be terrible. It's more or less the same [as in Spain], but people live it differently.

"On a sporting level, the match is the same, but people in Argentina are crazier about that issue. Not winning the Clasico means a lot. Here you want to win but, if you lose, nothing happens. There, you can't leave your house if you lose.

"All of the Clasicos are the same: in Rosario, in Cordoba, River-Boca, Independiente-Racing. In general people live it that way. The daily madness is carried into football and it's a disaster."