Lionel Messi, one of the best if not the best player of all time, wants to leave his club Barcelona.
The star had sent a burofax stating that he wants to leave and not play out the last year of his contract according to Forbes.
The club later confirmed the reports, but that exit stipulation is understood to have expired on 10 June, with Messi’s contract now having a €700m release clause. Barcelona’s board will meet over the next few days to decide what to do in what will be a seismic and defining decision in the club’s history.
However, his attempt to exit the club could now lead to a legal battle between the two sides over a clause in his contract.
Messi had spent most of his football career with the Spanish club. He has more than 600 goals for the team, has ten league titles, four Champions Leagues, and six Ballon d’Ors.
His announcement comes 11 days after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol tweeted his support to the Argentine. “Respect and admiration, Leo,” wrote Puyol. “All my support, friend.”
More to follow…
