Barcelona (AFP)

It's hard to imagine Barça without Lionel Messi when you walk around the legendary Camp Nou stadium. The Argentine star shines everywhere, on advertising boards, jerseys and in the hearts of supporters who still can't believe it: the number 10 wants to leave.

"I can't get used to the idea. I was born in 2003 and I only remember Barca with Messi. I grew up with him. For me, Barça is Messi. And now he goes away, he leaves us ", explains, between indignation and sadness, David Martin, 17, the blue and garnet jersey of the Catalan club on his shoulders.

The Barça captain dropped his "bomb" on Tuesday evening, as we could read in the front page of the Spanish sports newspapers, announcing that he wanted to terminate his contract with Barcelona, ​​the club where he arrived twenty years ago and where he became one of the best players in history.

For Barça fans, the news goes badly. Even more after a bad season, without a title and marked by constant tensions between the team and the management, the dismissal of two coaches and finally, the painful defeat (8-2) against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

- "We clung to him" -

"They humiliated us, the team was not up to the task, the management is shameful, but we had Messi. We clung to him. And there he goes. What is it? -What are we doing? Huh, what do we do now? "repeats the young supporter.

For him as for many others, the person in charge is all found: the management of the club, chaired by Josep Maria Bartomeu who maintains, according to the local press, bad relations with the Argentinian.

On Tuesday, around 100 supporters gathered near the stadium to chant "Bartomeu, resign" and "Messi, stay!".

"There is something that has not worked for it to end like this. The atmosphere between Messi and management is not good," said Antoni Reboredo, a 75-year-old pensioner sitting opposite the stadium.

To leave, "it is his right, he has deserved it. He has brought us a lot of happiness. Barça over the past ten years, it's him," he adds.

They were also a little more than a hundred Wednesday evening to proclaim their disagreement with the management of the club, which is the subject of a motion of censure filed by a candidate for the presidency of Barça.

"Last night I had trouble sleeping. I think it's irreversible. We're here (around the stadium) to shout out our rage and our helplessness, but I believe that even if Bartomeu resigns, Messi has already taken his decision ... ", regretted Toni Colomé, fan and teacher of 21 years, Wednesday evening.

"I still can't believe it ... I was getting used to the idea that he was going to have to retire one day, that's life. But not like that. It's the most direction. bad world. We want them to resign, to go away never to come back, "said Jacqueline Cobos, 57, also come to express her anger, the Argentina jersey on her shoulders.

- "The ruin" -

While dozens of cameras are pointed at Camp Nou, almost deserted in this period without football and almost without tourists in the midst of a pandemic, a few small groups of fans have come to the stadium to visit the museum or the shop.

Asahi Fujii, a 43-year-old Japanese woman, comes out with a brand new Messi shirt: "I'm not into football but my brother-in-law is very fond of Barca and he asked me to buy him a shirt before he don't leave the club, ”she explains.

Inside the store, the number 10 is already printed on next season's jersey. The one who will perhaps no longer see the Argentine star shine.

Keyrings, balloons or toys with his effigy occupy most of the shelves. On the wall, a gigantic photo shows him during the epic "remountada" against PSG three years ago (0-4, 6-1).

"It will be ruin. Messi sells a lot. After the pandemic, all we needed was that", laments the owner of a store in front of the stadium, who does not want to give his name for fear of losing the license granted by the club.

The impact is not only sporting or sentimental, but economic. The player appears on the advertisements of the main sponsors and even if his departure is sealed on good financial terms, his aura will be difficult to replace.

"It's a disaster. And with the pandemic, there is no money to sign good replacements," laments Carles Estopinya, another supporter. "I understand that he is tired of all this. But in a way, he betrays Barça a bit. His image will also take a hit," he said.

© 2020 AFP