Lionel Messi reportedly sent a fax that he wanted to leave the club for good. He wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which was expiring next summer. This clause will allow him to leave for free and with immediate effect.
Barcelona however was pretty confident that clause was now expired and Messi remained contracted to the club until next year with only buy-out clause of 700 million EUR. The board will soon discuss this issue over the meeting but Messi has made it clear that he wants to leave in any case.
Lionel Messi Getting Support from Fans
Upon hearing the board’s decision, his fans started to gather outside Camp Nou and protested against the club to support Messi’s wishes.
They want Barca to oblige if Messi wants to leave. There is no point in forcing him to stay, considering his level of honesty and loyalty with the club for 16 years. Fans think it to be a waste if both part ways on unfriendly terms.
The fans have already held the board accountable for Messi’s multiple wishes to leave the club. President Josep Maria Bartomeu was criticized for not continuing the club’s legacy like his predecessors. Fans already blame him for losing a player like Neymar and now the king of Barca is also about to leave.
Some wanted Bartomeu to resign instead so that Messi can stay.
Legends React On The Situation
Barca was eliminated by German heavyweight Bayern Munich in the quarter final of Champions League on 16th August. Germans handed them 8-2 defeat which was a huge attack on the club’s ego and self-respect. It was widely speculated that this heavy loss might have caused some clashes between players and management.
Luis Figo and Ronaldo de Lima presented their analyses in that light. Figo was more concerned about Messi’s future at other clubs while Ronaldo wanted Messi to get help from his teammates as Barcelona could not solve its problems by letting go of their star player.
Is Messi Too Expensive For Another Club?
After Messi leaves the club for good, fans might wonder that other teams would be so excited to get their hands on him. However, it might not work that way. As soon as he is allowed to leave officially, the 700 million EUR release clause will come into effect.
It is impossible for any team to gather that much amount rather than a few giants like Manchester City. This club is 77% owned by an Emirati Politician, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan. His total net worth is at least 21 billion USD as of 2020.
This potential move has excited the fans in seeing Messi reunited with former Barca coach Pep Guardiola. However, until the meeting, the excitement must be contained. Considering Bartomeu’s flirtation with legal proceedings, he could still hold Messi in against his wish.
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