Six-time Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi, according to media reports, announced his desire to leave Barcelona. According to the Spanish edition Marca, the Argentine footballer notified the club's management that he intends to use a special clause in the contract and terminate the agreement with the team in which he spent about 20 years. Nevertheless, the bosses of the "blaugrana" said that at the moment the athlete no longer has such an opportunity and announced that they would release him only if compensation was paid in the amount of € 700 million.
News of the possible departure of Messi began to arrive the very next day after the end of the Champions League quarterfinal match between Bayern and Barcelona. The Spanish team suffered a humiliating defeat with a score of 2: 8 and extended the series of unsuccessful performances in the international arena. The last time the Catalans reached the final of the tournament (and won) in 2015, when the team's colors were defended by Xavi, Neymar and Dani Alves.
According to radio station COPE, Messi was dissatisfied with the state of affairs at the club and refused to continue playing for him in the event that there were no changes in the leadership. This became a kind of reminder of the demands of the Argentinean, which, according to media reports, he put forward in February 2020. After a conflict with sports director Eric Abidal, the forward allegedly called for the resignation of Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, and also to appoint Xavi as head coach.
Then Messi's demands were not heard, and the conflict, apparently, was not resolved. And this despite the fact that Bartomeu personally held conversations with the sports director and footballer. Even then, it was reported that the legendary player could leave the club in the summer if he decides to activate a special option in the agreement and notifies the management about it. According to various sources, the player had to do this no later than June 10.
However, the coronavirus pandemic intervened, in connection with which the timing of national and international championships has noticeably shifted. As a result, Barcelona played its first match after the restart only on June 13, while Messi focused on ending the season in the Spanish Championship and the Champions League. By the way, in both tournaments the Catalans suffered a fiasco. First they lost gold to Real Madrid in Example, and then they were eliminated from the European Cup.
Three days after the fiasco at Da Lush, head coach Kike Setien was dismissed, replaced by former coach of the Netherlands national team Ronald Koeman. One might think that the Barcelona legend could have a positive impact on the atmosphere within the team and convince Messi to reconsider his decision to leave, but things turned out differently. After the first meeting between the Argentinean and the Dutchman, information appeared that Lionel personally notified the specialist of his desire to leave the club.
As reported later, the communication took place not in a hostile, but in a tense atmosphere. During the conversation, Koeman informed Messi that the veterans of the team would not have privileges and would have to work on a par with young footballers. This angered Lionel, because previous mentors often adjusted to the demands of leaders in some areas. The same Ernesto Valverde often gave extra days off and tried not to overload the athletes.
After that, the situation only worsened. Information about the content of the conversation between the player and the coach quickly appeared on the Internet, which caused a storm of indignation from Messi. Koeman tried his best to smooth the situation, constantly recalling the importance of Lionel for the team and his place in the history of Barcelona, but all the attempts of the specialist were in vain. On August 25, the Marca edition reported that the athlete sent an official fax to Barcelona, in which he informed about the desire to terminate the current agreement.
It is noteworthy that the athlete was supported not only by former, but also by current teammates. For example, the ex-captain of "Blaugrana" Carles Puyol wrote a message on Twitter, in which he expressed his admiration and respect for Messi. It was subsequently commented on by Luis Suarez by posting an emoji with applause. Ex-England striker Gary Lineker also sided with Lionel, and the President of Catalonia, Joaquim Torra y Pla, thanked him for the years spent at Barcelona.
According to media reports, the team confirmed the receipt of a fax from Messi and notified the athlete that he had no legal basis to demand the termination of the agreement. At the same time, the deadline for submitting such a request was indicated not on June 10, but on May 30.
The club allegedly expressed the hope that relations with the footballer would normalize and Messi would continue to play for Barcelona. Otherwise, Lionel can leave, but only on condition that the compensation amount is paid, which amounts to € 700 million. It is worth noting that in the conditions of financial fair play, hardly anyone is able to spend such funds.
Of course, at the moment, the leadership of Barcelona prefer not to think about the possible departure of Messi and count on a favorable development of events. But if the Argentine does not change his decision and demands to release him, the club will still have to go for it. At least, for the reason that it is extremely unprofitable to keep a player on the bench with a salary of about € 40 million a year.
Earlier, it was repeatedly said about the interest in Messi on the part of a number of European teams, and Inter was mentioned more often than others. Perhaps Lionel really got the idea to win another victory over his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo and break the hegemony of Juventus in Serie A, but this scenario seems unlikely. The Italian championship is hardly suitable for him, and working together with the demanding Antonio Conte does not bode well.
In turn, the move to Manchester City seems a little more realistic and intriguing. At least for the reason that it is headed by Josep Guardiola, who played a huge role in the formation of Messi. The reunion of the Argentinean with the Spanish mentor would be a historic event, and a victory in the Champions League would finally remove all questions about the title of the best player in the history of football.
Nevertheless, at the moment, it seems more realistic to leave Barcelona not Messi, but Bartomeu. A few hours after the shocking news of Lionel's departure, fans of blue garnet gathered outside the club's office and stadium and began to demand the resignation of the current president. And this despite the fact that already in June 2021, elections will be held for a new head of the Blaugrana, whose favorite is considered to be Victor Font.