Lionel Messi’s future at Barcelona no longer seemed to be resolved after the first meeting between the player’s father and club officials on Wednesday ended without a deal, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person said club president Josep Bartomeu met Jorge Messi for more than 90 minutes to discuss the Argentine star’s request to leave the club, but neither side made any concessions.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to speak publicly about the private meeting.
Lionel Messi last week told Barcelona he wanted to leave the club and invoked a contract clause that allowed him to leave for free at the end of the season. But Barcelona said the clause expired in June and said they must see his contract until June 2021, unless the purchase clause of 700 million euros (837 million dollars) is paid.
Also in the meeting were Barcelona official Javier Bordas and Messi’s brother Rodrigo. A lawyer from the Messi family was also present. In what was described as a friendly match, all sides made their positions clear: Jorge Messi said the player wants to leave and Barcelona said they will not accept his transfer request.
No further meetings were immediately scheduled and the next steps were not clear.
Barcelona said they still hope Lionel Messi can change his mind about the departure.
Representatives of the player argue that the clause allowing him to leave the club should still be valid because the season was rejected by the coronavirus pandemic. Barcelona have reiterated that they will keep the player on his contract.
Jorge Messi, who is also Messi’s agent, was tight-lipped when he arrived in Spain from Argentina last Wednesday.
“I don’t know anything,” Jorge Messi said in brief comments after being questioned at the airport.
Spanish TV station Cuatro then reported that Jorge Messi said it would be “difficult” for his son to stay at Barcelona. He didn’t elaborate.
Barcelona have said they will not facilitate Messi’s departure and will only negotiate an extension of the contract. The club has offered the Argentine a two-year extension that would keep him at Barcelona throughout the 2022-23 season.
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In addition to the meeting with Messi’s father, Barcelona said they also want to meet the player personally to try to change his mind about the departure. The club said it went out of its way to try to get Messi to end his career at the club where he started nearly 20 years ago.
Lionel Messi hasn’t met with club officials since he announced his decision to leave and hasn’t said anything publicly since Barcelona’s 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on 14 August. The defeat that ended a difficult season for the club, its first untitled since 2007-08.
33-year-old Messi had been outspoken against club executives throughout the season and has not reported to the club since the team returned to training on Monday. He also missed the coronavirus tests required of the team on Sunday.
Barcelona did not say whether they would take action against the player due to his absence.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos said Messi’s decision is “not something that concerns us”, but he hopes the rival player will stay with Barcelona.
“He has earned the right to decide on his future,” Ramos said. “I don’t know if he will do it in the best way, but obviously, for Spanish football, for Barcelona and for us, who like to win by playing against the best, we would like him to stay. It improves the league and Barcelona, and makes the “clasicos more beautiful”.
Messi’s teammate in Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong, said he was as clueless as everyone else.
“It’s kind of chaos now, a lot of things are happening,” said De Jong, who is with the Dutch national team. “But I have not spoken personally with Messi, nor with the club. When I arrive after this week in Barcelona I will see how things are going and what is really happening. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. “
Barcelona will start their season against Villarreal in the Spanish league at the end of the month.
