Something that seemed completely impossible a few days ago - that Lionel Messi would remain at Barça - will be a reality. When the Argentinian sent his famous burofax to the club setting out his wish to leave Barça on a free transfer, it seemed that the decision was irreversible and the six time Ballon d'Or winner would not be seen again dressed in the blaugrana strip. Now, however, a little over a week later, Messi has confirmed that he is to remain at Barça and will serve out the remaining year of his contract, as he confirmed in an interview with Goal.
"I am going to continue in the club because the president told me the only way to leave was to pay the buy-out clause," said the player. Paying the 700 million euro clause was "obviously impossible", explained Messi, reiterating that he was convinced he had a right to leave for free, so the only other solution was to go to court. "And that’s madness, as I would never go to court against Barça because it’s the club I love and which has given me everything."
Thus, despite a statement issued earlier today, through his father, reaffirming the view that the release clause allowing him to leave Barça for free remains in force, Messi has decided to stay, according to TyC Sports.
Messi will continue for another year defending the Barça shield and wearing the captain's armband. / EFE
Messi did not want a traumatic exit
The Barça captain, upset by the non-stop media and legal circus centred on the question of his future over the last 10 days, has refused to allow his departure from his lifetime club to turn into such a traumatic event, and has preferred to walk back a decision that up till now seemed irrevocable. He arrived at Futbol Club Barcelona 20 years ago and in no way wanted his long adventure at Barça to end like this. He told Goal of how unhappy his family had been made by the affair. He also said that he was hurt by how some people put his love for the club in doubt. "Even if I leave, that will never change," he said in his twenty minute interview on Friday.
Although he is aware that all the uncertainty generated in the last week and a half, and the contradictory statements issued by his own camp, the Spanish League and the Barça club cannot be simply erased, he wanted to take the step himself of renouncing his expressed wish to leave, rather than holding out for the club to pave the way for him, a step which president Bartomeu seemed completely opposed to taking.
Messi has been consistently opposed to a path of legal action and seeing that the meeting between his father Jorge and the club president seemed to portend an ugly journey through the courts, Barça's number 10 decided to step back and continue at the club until 30th June 2021, when his contract runs out and he will be able to leave for free, as he tried to do this summer.
So what about Suárez?
There are other matters, of course. When Messi's departure was taken for granted, a huge number of other questions opened up; now that he has announced that he will continue for another year in the Barça ranks, those matters have to be dealt with. One of the most important refers to his fellow striker and great friend, Luis Suárez. The Uruguayan's name was one that Koeman described as expendable and the club was already working on his departure, but this turn of events could change everything.
Messi and Suarez celebrating a goal. It's still unclear whether this scene will be possible in the 2020-21 season. / EFE
Suárez had been linked, above all, with Juventus, but in the last few hours it has been said that the continuity of the Uruguayan was one of Messi's requests in order to continue at Can Barça. Now that the Argentinian has announced his decision, it remains to be seen whether he will also be able to get Koeman to accept the continuity of his friend in the Catalan forward line.
And the relationship with Ronald Koeman?
Another unanswered question is over the relationship between Messi and new Barça coach Ronald Koeman. The Dutchman wanted to talk to Messi as soon as he arrived on the Barça bench, but it's known that the talk did not go as expected and Messi was not especially assured by Koeman's words.
Ronald Koeman during his presentation as Barça coach.
It is thought that Koeman, hero of Barça's first-ever European Cup, let him know that "the privileges were over" in the Barça dressing room, and Messi took it as close to a personal attack. Now, condemned to reach an understanding for the good of both, Messi and Koeman will have to start over if Barça is itself to start on the difficult rebuild which lies ahead.
As Messi bluntly told Goal this Friday: "There has been no project or anything at Barça for a long time, they juggle things around and patch them up." That's a huge criticism of the club under president Bartomeu. And so the question remains as to whether Barça, facing presidential elections in March, and with Messi staying for another year but only because he has no alternative, can have anything more than another patch-up year despite the intentions of Ronald Koeman.