Updated: September 4, 2020 10:37:45 pm
Lionel Messi had informed Barcelona on August 25 that he wanted to leave the club. (Source file)
Lionel Messi confirmed on Friday that he will stay at Barcelona, ending the week-long transfer saga after initially informing the club that he wanted to leave last month.
The 33-year-old informed Barcelona that he wanted to leave the club on August 25 with a free transfer under a contract clause. Both Barcelona and La Liga stood firm in their position, saying Messi’s contract with the club was valid and any club interested in his services would have to pay the 700 million euro buyout clause in full.
OFFICIAL: Leo Messi will remain at Barça also in the 2020/21 season. 🔴 #FCB #Barcelona #Messi
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 4, 2020
Messi put an end to all speculation by deciding to stay at the club for the next ten months, while blaming the club’s management and the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, for mishandling the situation.
“I was not happy and wanted to leave. I have not been allowed this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal dispute. The management of the club headed by Bartomeu is a disaster, “said Messi objective.
“I thought and was sure that I was free to go, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide whether to stay or not. Now they’re holding on to the fact that I didn’t say it before June 10. “
“Now I’m going to continue at the club because the president told me that the only way out was to pay the 700 million euro clause, and that this is impossible.”
EXPLAINED | What is the clause that Lionel Messi triggered to leave Barcelona?
Messi also said that the decision to leave was because he did not feel the club could compete.
“I looked further and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the UEFA Champions League. In it you can win or lose, because it is very difficult, but you have to compete ”, added the Argentine.
“At least compete for it and we don’t fall apart in Rome, Liverpool, Lisbon. All that led me to think about that decision that I wanted to carry out ”.
“The truth is that there is no project in this club. They just plug the holes as things happen. I would never go to war against the club of my life. That’s why I’m staying. “
Messi on the famous burofax:
“The burofax was to make it official.
“Throughout the year I had told the president that I wanted to leave, that the time had come to seek a new direction in my career.
“He told me all the time:” We will talk, no, this and that, “but nothing.” pic.twitter.com/cSIoaMXfQz
– Goal (@goal) September 4, 2020
Messi said his love for Barcelona was the reason why he chose not to go to court over the dispute over his contract clause.
“I would never go to the court against Barcelona because it is the club that I love, that gave me everything since I arrived. Barcelona gave me everything and I gave everything. I know it never crossed my mind to take Barcelona to court ”.
“When I communicated my wish to go to my wife, it was a brutal drama. The whole family started crying, my children didn’t want to leave Barcelona ”.
Early Tuesday, Lionel’s father, Jorge, wrote to La Liga refuting his statement that the 700 million euro release clause for his son “does not apply.” The league responded immediately by reiterating its position.
The 33-year-old has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards during his time in Barcelona and has helped the club win 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns.
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