Futbol Club Barcelona has published an emotion-wrenching video on social media saying farewell to Leo Messi and paying tribute to him. “Messi, the greatest of all time,” the video states. "Thank you," the club adds on a very sad day for Barça.
Gràcies, Leo pic.twitter.com/vHFL2fHmWG
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) August 5, 2021
This afternoon, a statement from Futbol Club Barcelona confirmed rumours that had spread during the day that Messi would be departing from the club, in an about-face development attributed to "economic and structural obstacles" related to the regulations of the Spanish Liga. The content of the statement was as follows:
"Messi not staying at FC Barcelona"
"Leo Messi not staying at FC Barcelona" is the headline written by the club itself on its website. The statement which follows reads:
"Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)."
"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled," reads the official statement.
"FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life," concludes the football club's message.
Vacations in Ibiza
After spending a relaxing summer holiday in Ibiza, Leo Messi returned to Barcelona yesterday, a trip that, together with news of a Spanish Liga agreement with an investment fund that would provide an income of 2.7 billion euros, foreshadowed that the fumata blanca on renewing Messi's contract was very close.
To top it off, this morning Jorge Messi, the player's father and representative, landed in Barcelona to meet with president Joan Laporta and, theoretically, close the contract. It all ended in the worst possible way.
When it seemed that this Thursday the Argentinian star's contract renewal for the next 4 seasons would be officially announced, the nerves were put on edge when the sports newspaper Marca announced that the summer soap-opera of the contract signing had made a radical about-turn due to the impossibility of Barça being able to register Messi without breaching the salary limit imposed by La Liga and, at the same time, continuing to stay on board the European Superleague.
Club president Joan Laporta will appear tomorrow, Friday, at a special press conference to explain this radical turn of events in the case of Messi's contract renewal. "We would like to inform you that a press conference by the president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, will take place in the 1899 Auditorium tomorrow, Friday 6 August, from 11am," says the Barça announcement. The latest one.