Lionel Messi claims that he felt "attacked" by the Madrid-based media after being charged with tax fraud, and thanked Barcelona for their unwavering support throughout.
Messi and his father were both given suspended jail sentences in 2016, though Messi claimed that he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
He claims that he has been hounded by the media to the brink of depression, and was thankful to the people and the media of Catalonia for standing by him.
"I had a difficult year at the time I had all the trouble with the treasury," said Messi, quoted in Marca.