Lionel Messi, the man who unites Barça in the last 15 years in a single story, the years in which the club has grown bigger than ever before ending up broken into a thousand pieces in Lisbon, has said enough. Far is his image celebrating the comeback against PSG. Or his childish laughter with the Champions in his hands, in 2015. Tired of losing in Europe, of seeing how every defeat in the Champions League hurts more, he has decided to put an end to the only stage he knows as a footballer professional, that of Barça. And he did it with a burofax. Cold, distant. Proving that divorce with the board is impossible to save. “Closed stage, it’s time to look to the future,” said the player, who was surrounded by his closest surroundings on the day of the decision that caused an earthquake at Barça.
Messi arrived on October 12, 2000. He was a talented and shy child, with growth problems. At Barça they had heard the wonders of the little boy who was playing in the Newell’s Old Boys shirt. And they made him the big bet for Barça’s future when they asked him to sign a napkin to prevent him from being seduced by other clubs. And 20 years later, Messi leaves sending a burofax in which he asks to do so now, immediately. Thus, he turns his surrender – unable to believe that Barça can win the Champions League next season – into a blow to the waterline of Josep Maria Bartomeu, who yesterday saw how many fans approached the offices to ask for the his resignation. In fact, Messi blew and threatens to bring down the house of cards that a club has become against the ropes. If a few days ago Bartomeu said that there was only one sports crisis, now he has an institutional one.
Manchester City Road?
Some of the pre-candidates, such as Víctor Font, Joan Laporta and Agustí Benedito, demanded the resignation of the president. The Manifest Blaugrana collective and the pre-candidate Jordi Farré, for their part, stated that they will start the process to present a motion of censure. In fact, the pre-candidate announced on Wednesday on social media that he has already submitted “the writ to request the vote of censure against Josep Maria Bartomeu and his entire board of directors.”
As I said yesterday, I have just submitted a written request for a vote of censure against Josep Maria Bartomeu and his entire board of directors, they can’t be at the helm of the club for another minute.
It is time for facts and not for words. # votcensura2020 pic.twitter.com/oOLX1TT05t– Jordi Farré ???? (@JordifarreFcb) August 26, 2020
Increasingly harassed, Bartomeu simply responded with another bureaufax, in which Messi is asked not to leave. Let him retire at Barça. Burofaxos at a time when it is easier to call. But Messi has not answered the president’s calls for a long time. Bartomeu, besieged, already claimed after the 2-8 defeat against Bayern Munich that he was advancing the elections in March. More and more voices are asking him to do it now, to leave. And fans and opponents organize to lead motions of censure. At the moment, most fans seem to support the Argentine.
From Quim Torra to Carles Puyol, the reactions to Lionel Messi’s decision
The sources consulted by ARA are compelling. Messi will leave. He has decided. And, in the middle of Europe, clubs like Manchester City, Inter Milan or PSG are rubbing their hands, making numbers and dreaming of being able to recruit a player who has only worn Barça so far. In fact, Messi contacted Manchester City a few days ago to find out if they could take on an operation that also includes the highest salary in the squad, of more than 8 million euros a month. The British club would therefore be one of the best positioned in a frantic struggle to try to sign a footballer who would prefer to meet Pep Guardiola, the coach with whom he made the leap in quality. City sources do not want to value this information, but admit that they have the economic muscle to be able to face this operation.
The way out, however, will not be easy. Burofax was no less than an important episode in a long series, as lawyers now come into action. Sad end to Messi’s journey, let the lawyers have a lot to say. The Rosario footballer is asking to accept a clause in his contract that he included in 2017, when he last renewed, which allowed him to terminate it unilaterally at the end of each season. Barça, however, do not give value to it, as the contract specifies in writing that this clause should be executed before June 10, the date when, normally, the seasons have already ended. The captain’s lawyers, on the other hand, believe that, as this season has been extended due to covid-19, the clause would still remain in force. In the club offices, it is taken for granted that from a legal point of view, the case has no recourse. But they know the harm is already done. Messi wants to leave and, in fact, has decided not to appear this Sunday at the Joan Gamper Sports City for the PCR tests prior to returning to training. Bartomeu has a few days to try to prevent the best player in the history of football from showing up at the facility, which would force the board to sanction him.
The player’s current contract expires in June 2021 and the footballer had not wanted to negotiate the renewal in recent months. Once Quique Setión arrived, who never had chemistry with Messi, the footballer felt that the club was not going in the right direction and made it clear that he did not want to renegotiate the contract. And it was the father, Jorge Messi, who simply made contact with the board, as the footballer preferred not to talk to the president. This Monday Messi met with Ronald Koeman to hear the new coach’s proposal, but at the meeting the captain informed the Dutchman that he did not see his future clearly. 48 hours later, seeing how, for example, Koeman was telling Luis Suárez in a phone conversation of just one minute that he should leave, Messi made the decision.
A wear and tear of many seasons
In recent years, Messi’s goals had kept an increasingly unstable club together. A Barça with changes of direction and positions that did not last long in the sports area. Neither Robert Fernández, nor Pep Segura, nor Éric Abidal managed to gain the trust of Messi, who had already thought about it more than once. But it has not been until now that he has decided to leave. That said enough. The player’s environment explains that it has been a decision that has not been made hot. Messi did not take well the farewell of Ernesto Valverde, when he ended up upset especially by the forms, and on several occasions has complained because he considered that the board accused him of having a lot of power. However, the signing he would have always wanted to see, the return of Neymar, has not ended. The lack of trust between the players and the managers had been getting bigger, more painful. And once the 2-8 came, it all exploded.
In the Barça offices, where there was no official statement yesterday, the first reactions should arrive today at the presentation of the Portuguese footballer Trincão, which will be done electronically with the presence of Bartomeu and the new head of the sports area , Ramon Planes. But, unofficially, they explain that the priority is to try to convince Messi not to leave. “The burofax asks the player to end his career at the club,” they explain. However, they also admit that if the footballer does not change his mind, he already knows the conditions. It has a termination clause of 700 million euros, a figure that seems impossible for anyone to file right now. But more and more managers do not look down on reaching an agreement with Messi now and sell him for a lower figure. And this is where the name of Manchester City gains strength, which, according to the Brazilian press, would be willing to pay many millions and include Gabriel Jesus. The directive is divided between those who want to convince Messi anyway and those who would agree to sell him in an operation that, incidentally, would allow them to save budgets and close the term without suffering losses. The series remains open.
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