Messi misses the first preseason training while the Barcelona confrontation continues

MADRID – Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona’s first preseason training session on Monday, club sources confirmed to AFP, as the forward raised the stakes in his battle to leave this summer.

After skipping the coronavirus tests on Sunday, Messi was again absent from the training ground of the club’s Ciutat Esportiva, where Ronald Koeman held a session at 5:30 p.m., the first since he was appointed Barça coach.

It seems increasingly likely that Messi will try to force a transfer by refusing to play in La Liga next season, which begins on September 12.

The 33-year-old and his lawyers believe that participating in Barcelona’s preseason program would contradict their argument that Messi no longer belongs to the club.

They insist that a clause in their contract that allows Messi to go out for free this summer was activated last Tuesday, when the burofax arrived at the Camp Nou stating its intention to leave.

But Barcelona maintains that this clause had to be activated before June 10 and the deadline has not been extended, despite the fact that the season has been prolonged by the pandemic, with the men’s Champions League final played on August 23.

La Liga backed Barça’s position on Sunday by announcing that the termination clause in Messi’s contract, set at 700 million euros ($ 833 million), still applies.

The club’s captain and the best player in history, who has scored 634 goals for them and won 34 titles, now runs the risk of being sanctioned with a fine or, if his absence continues, with a reduction in salary.

Manchester City remain favorites to sign Messi, whose base salary alone amounts to around € 60 million.

The Argentine has reportedly spoken with City manager Pep Guardiola, but other clubs are still in the race, including Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Download the EWN app on your iOS or Android device.