Lionel Messi has distanced himself further from Barcelona by refusing to appear for the club’s first preseason match.
According to journalist Alfredo Martínez on Twitter, the Argentine forward will not attend PCR tests on Sunday as Barcelona prepares for the start of the new La Liga season.
Messi wants to leave Barcelona and is unwilling to cooperate at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva training ground for the start of the preseason and Covid-19 tests.
The 33-year-old will not be able to participate in training, which begins on Monday, if he does not show up for tryouts.
RAC journalist Gerard Romero affirms that it is a “joint decision with his lawyers.”
However, Cadena SER reports that Barcelona could try to punish Messi if he does not show up on Sunday.
The story has been corroborated by Goal.
Barcelona responds to Messi
According to Spanish media Sport, the president of Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, will send a message to Messi and his lawyers via burofax informing the captain of the club that he is still under contract and must attend the coronavirus tests on Sunday.
Messi’s camp is confident that he has activated the clause that allows him to leave his contract this summer and is allowed to go free.
A complicated battle between the two sides is expected to begin, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain closely monitoring the situation.
Serie A giants Juventus are also weighing the possibility of securing a surprising move for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, according to Spanish soccer journalist Guillem Balague.
“Perhaps most intriguing of all, Juventus is now looking at the hugely unlikely scenario of organizing very daring financial deals and sponsorships that could see Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing together for the first time,” Balague wrote for BBC Sport.
“What a delightful prospect that would be. But it’s also nearly impossible.”
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