After an embarrassing loss against UCL champions Bayern Munich, multiple Barcelona players are leaving or getting laid off. Suarez– is apparently going to get terminated despite scoring a majority of goals for Barca this season. Manager Setien and sporting director Abidal were also fired and sacked respectively. But that isn’t the most shocking news of the week.
In a surprising turn of events, Messi announced that he wants to leave Barcelona. Yes, the politics in the Spanish club have gotten so out of hand that star Player, Leo Messi, the man who built his career and shaped his life in Barca, is ready to move on. He announced that he wishes to leave Barcelona.
Fans gathered outside Camp Nou and protested for the resignation of current club president Bartomeu. He has denied his rumoured resignation and intends to stay at Barcelona, though most fans can agree that his disastrous reign needs to come to an end. His contract will expire at the end of the upcoming season. Fans chanted “Messi stay” and “Bartomeu resign” right outside the stadium. Meanwhile, an emergency board meeting was held earlier today.
Barca teammate Suarez and former peer Puyol have supported Messi’s decision on twitter, confirming the urgency of the situation at hand. Former President Laporte also spoke up and said that Barca needs to do everything to ensure that Messi stays with them, especially firing Bartomeu and his board. Some believe that new manager Koeman is the reason for Messi’s statement after Koeman reportedly told him that his “Privileges were over”.
Most of the details are messy (pun intended) at the moment. There are also multiple unanswered questions like will Messi’s contract allow him to leave for free or whether he’ll have to pay to leave, or if Messi will stay if Bartomeu resigns or if the problem is beyond that, etc. All we can do is hope for the best.
Despite being a Barcelona fan for as long as I remember, I personally want Messi to do what is best for him. The ever-loyal player has always supported the Catalonian Giants and perhaps it’s time for a new chapter in his story. Plus, it would be another amazing phase for soccer fans, as we would get to see this Argentinian play in another league that isn’t Spanish.
On the other side, Messi isn’t Lionel Messi without Barcelona and Barcelona isn’t Barca without Messi. So my selfish side, wants him to stay. Either way, I hope that there is no bitterness between the player and Barca. The legacy of Messi and Barca is stronger than the obstacles that they may face in the future.
Meanwhile, there are rumors that Messi is in contact with former manager and current Man City Manager, Pep Guardiola. If he does leave, there is a solid chance that we will see Messi in the Premier League playing for Man City. Manchester’s blue team is sure to be invincible if Messi joins them.
There is also a probability of him going to Italy as a Milan player, in which case the infamous Ronaldo-Messi rivalry will be back (If Ronaldo stays at Juventus). There is a lot that is unknown in these uncertain times, but stay tuned for the latest Soccer News:)
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Source 1- Business Insider
Source 2- Evening Standard
Source 3- The Sun
Source 4- Daily Express
Source 5- Daily Mail
