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THE AGREEMENT IN BOX: This photo was taken in November 2017 when Lionel Messi and the president of Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, ended the formal and Messi signed a contract that lasted until 2021. Photo: AFP
The 700 million euro release clause that Barcelona secured to prevent Lionel Messi (33) from leaving the club is said to have expired last year.
Discussions are booming in Spain after various media outlets suggested the clause does not apply now that Lionel Messi is in his final year of contract with Barcelona.
Cadena SER writes that the purchase agreement was extended until this season. In that case, the 33-year-old can go to a new club for free.
The sports newspaper Marca also agrees with Messi and his team and refers to the statements of the president of Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, in September 2019, to the club’s own television channel.
Be able to decide for yourself
– Messi has a contract that we signed two years ago. It was a four-year contract that allows him to leave Barcelona, leave football or go elsewhere before the start of the 2020/2021 season. Other players such as Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol also had this opportunity when they renewed their contracts, the president told Barca-TV.
He also made no secret of the fact that other key players also had similar deals and explained why:
“They have this freedom because they deserve it, to decide their future and when they want to play football,” Bartomeu told the club’s television channel.
These statements and the interpretation of the deal should be the reason why Messi is unlikely to show up when the Barcelona team undergoes a crown test today.
Most of the players arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva for testing this morning. Lionel Messi has not been seen.
Various media outlets write that the 33-year-old also has no plans to pose for Monday’s training.
Barcelona’s starting point will be that Messi has already renewed the contract for next season. That deadline must have been June 10. Messi’s supporters should be of the opinion that this deadline was postponed as all contracts were extended due to the crown pandemic when league matches and Champions League matches were postponed.
FIRST MEETING: Here Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman arrives at the Ciutat Esportiva training facilities on Sunday morning. Photo: PAU BARRENA / AFP
