Getty
Barcelona issued a shock statement regarding captain Lionel Messi’s future on Thursday and announced the 34-year-old “shall not be staying on” at the club despite “having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today.”
The statement was released following intense speculation that talks over a contract renewal had broken down and sent shockwaves throughout the football world.
“Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations).
“As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.
“FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.”
Messi returned to Barcelona on Wednesday from vacation after helping Argentina win the Copa America, and an announcement that he was staying at the club was expected before Saturday’s Joan Gamper Trophy friendly against Juventus.
However, the situation swiftly changed with Spanish daily Marca reporting on Thursday there had been a “radical turnaround” with regards Messi’s renewal. The report stated, “Messi has never been further from renewing his agreement with the club than he is today.” The report added that president Joan Laporta was well aware of the situation and was now “studying how best to communicate the bad news to fans.”
Catalan journalist Gerard Romero also reported on the situation, described the contract decision as “irreversible” with Messi being “more out” of Barca than ever.
ESPN’s Samuel Marsden was feeling more cautious but admitted he had heard whispers there could be issues with Messi’s new contract.
The problem stems from Barca’s current financial plight and La Liga’s salary cap. The club needed to sell players to afford to renew Messi but have so far been unable to offload stars such as Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho, and Miralem Pjanic.
A new way out seemed to have arrived on Wednesday when La Liga announced a deal with CVC which would see €2.7 billion injected into Spanish football, as reported by The Athletic. However, Barcelona president Joan Laporta isn’t keen on the deal and would rather stick with the European Super League plan.
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
What Next For Laporta and Barcelona?
Laporta is expected to discuss the Messi situation on Friday. The president will address reporters at a press conference, according to journalist Josep Capdevila.
The 59-year-old has continually talked up the prospect of Messi staying since arriving for a second spell in charge of the club in March. Laporta has even insisted several times that “everything is on track” with the renewal when asked by reporters.
Yet despite his optimism, Messi’s Camp Nou career now looks over, barring any further dramatic developments. Some fans have already made their way to the Camp Nou after Barcelona’s shock statement about Messi, as shown by journalist Victor Navarro.
Laporta will have plenty of questions to answer regarding the club’s inability to keep hold of their captain with the statement coming just over a week before Barca’s first game of the 2021-22 La Liga season.
READ NEXT: Barcelona’s Ansu Fati Shares Exciting Fitness Update [WATCH]