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INTERNATIONAL HAS LIONEL REALLY MESSED IT UP?
THE FALLEN
WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG FOR THE MIGHTY MESSI?
BY ZAAHID NANABHAY
Having arrived in Barcelona as a 13-year-old in the year 2000, Lionel Messi and the Catalan giants developed one of football’s ultimate love stories. 34 Major trophies in just 15-years, returning Barcelona to the throne of club football for lengthy spells and being the catalyst behind arguably the greatest football team the world has ever seen. A Barcelona side without Lionel Messi? Unimaginable!
Messi, 33, spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, scoring over 600 goals, winning10 league titles and four Champions Leagues. However, in the past couple of seasons cracks have started to appear in the relationship between Messi and the club, following heart-breaking exits in the Champions League and discontentment within the club’s hierarchy. Messi had become more outspoken than ever, willing to criticise senior club figures as well as his own team-mates. Could he really leave? The unimaginable could very well be upon us. The beginning of the end can be traced all the way back to July 2015. The month when Josep Maria Bartomeu was elected as president of the club. His opening statement was the disasterous signing of Arda Turan, Turan - highly talented but absolutely wasn’t a ‘Barcelona player.’ And that signing set the tone for a number of ill-advised purchases. Not to mention the destruction of La Masia as we knew it. The famed Barcelona academy has seen a massive decline in talent coming through the ranks since 2015. Messi was
18 days short of his 28th birthday when Barca last lifted the UEFA Champions League. Domestic league and cup wins aside, the Blaugranes essentially wasted his prime years as a player, according to the Argentine star.
Dec. 14, 2000: FC Barcelona offer Messi a youth contract.
Feb. 2001: Messi and his family relocate to Barcelona so he can join La Masia academy.
Nov. 16, 2003: At the age of 16, Messi makes his first-team debut in a friendly against Porto.
May 2004: Wins La Liga title for the first time.
June 24, 2005: Messi signs his first contract as a senior team player.
May 17, 2006: Wins first Champions League title as Barca beat Arsenal. Messi didn’t play due to injury.
April 18, 2007: Messi scored his best goal ever against Getafe.
May 27, 2009: Barcelona win the Champions League, beating Manchester United in the final, 2-0, with Messi scoring.
May 28, 2011: Messi wins UCL for a third time, scoring in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the final.
March 7, 2012: Scores five times against Bayer Leverkusen in a Champions League match.
March 20, 2012: Messi becomes Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with his 231st goal. He’s now got 634 goals for the club.
June 6, 2015: Barcelona beat Juventus in the UCL final, 3-1, in what may be his last UCL crown with Barca.
Aug. 10, 2018: Messi becomes Barcelona captain after the departure of Andres Iniesta.
May 2019: Wins La Liga title for potentially the last time.
Dec. 2, 2019: Messi wins the Ballon d’Or for a record sixth time.
June 30, 2020: Scores goal No. 700 of his career
Aug. 14, 2020: Barcelona lose 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the UCL quarterfinals it what might end up being the last game he ever plays for the team.
Aug. 25, 2020: Messi informs Barcelona that he wants to leave.
Messi calls it quits
Lionel Messi informed Barcelona he wished to leave the club after nearly two decades with the Spanish giants. The
club confirmed the Argentina soccer great sent a document expressing his desire to leave. The announcement came 11 days after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, one of the worst defeats in the player’s career and in the club’s history. The defeat capped a difficult season for Barcelona — the first without a title since 2007-08 — and ignited one of its worst crises ever.
Messi informed Barcelona of his intent to leave via Burofax because he is depending on a clause that will allow him to unilaterally end his contract before the end of the season — despite his contract ending in 2021. The end of the season would have been May 31, 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic which saw football tournaments delayed by a minimum of three months, Messi and his team believe he has had added time in which to break the deal under the current clause.
Messi’s contractual situation explained
Inserted into Messi’s contract was a staggering 700 million Euro buy-out clause that wouldbe suitors would have to pay in
order to lure him away from the Nou Camp. The clause, coupled with Messi’s commitment on renewal until 2021, makes a Barcelona exit financially and emotionally unviable; but this week’s incredible developments mean it is now more possible than anyone could have ever imagined. Also inserted into Messi’s contract back in 2017 was a clause which states he could leave Barcelona for free at the end of every season should he wish to - so at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
With Messi expressing his desire to leave Barcelona, would-be suitors across the globe will be licking their lips at the prospect of securing the greatest free signing in history. In theory that may be the case, but things are not as
simple as that. The coronavirus pandemic and suspension of the La Liga season meant Barcelona finished their campaign in August instead of May. Messi’s lawyers are arguing that - in the spirit of the deal and good faith - the clause is still active after the rescheduled Champions League final on August 23.
LaLiga side with Barcelona
La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical. The ruling body said the only way a club can sign the Argentine forward is if he triggers his release clause.
”With regard to the various interpretations (some of which are contradictory) published by a number of media outlets in recent days in relation to the contractual situation surrounding FC Barcelona player Lionel Andrés Messi, after having studied his contract with the club, LaLiga considers it appropriate to clarify that: The contract is currently in force and features a release clause to be applied in the event that Lionel Andrés Messi should decide to activate the early unilateral termination of the contract, pursuant to Article 16 of the Royal Decree 1006/1985 of 26 June, which regulates the specific labour status of
professional athletes. In line with the regulations and procedure that apply in such instances, LaLiga shall not proceed with the release required for the player to be deregistered from the Spanish Football Federation unless the aforementioned clause has been paid.”
Messi’s potential next move
Paris-Saint Germain
The French Ligue 1 champions hold two trump cards in the race to land Lionel, the first of which being Neymar. Lionel Messi has publicly urged Barcelona to sign the Brazilian star in recent times while PSG also have the financial muscle to bring the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to the French capital. If any team can afford to reach a financial agreement with Barcelona, its Paris-Saint Germain. Messi’s exit also comes at a time where PSG may very well be looking to add the final piece to their puzzle following their heart-breaking UEFA Champions League final loss against Bayern Munich. Having already splashed the cash on Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Mauro Icardi, Angel Di Maria and more, it would make little sense not to swoop on arguably the best player in the world in a bid to finally win the illusive European trophy.
Manchester City
Two words: Pep Guardiola! With Pep Guardiola, Messi’s former boss in arguably his most-fruitful years at the helm, there is always the possibility of a move for the Argentine forward. The Barcelona captain, of course has never played in the Premier League, and this could be incentive enough for him to want to make his mark on previously unchartered territory. Messi joining the star-studded City outfit could very well be their final piece in the puzzle in light of the UEFA Champions League crown. Much like PSG, Manchester City are another club that can afford the services of the Argentine. A reunion with Pep Guardiola will definitely entice Messi into heading towards Manchester with the hope of tearing apart the English Premier League.
Juventus
A Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi attack? Just a couple of months ago, Juventus were amongst the favourites to sign Messi when his situation at Barcelona reportedly soured. But the Turin giants are reportedly looking to part ways with Ronaldo this summer, and new boss Andrea Pirlo could try to replace their highest earner with Messi. Messi may very well replace his foe in Cristiano Ronaldo at the club with reports in Turin claiming Ronaldo may be heading for the exit door at Juventus.
Inter Milan
Inter have been extremely vocal in their attempt to land Lionel Messi. The case for Inter is rational: pretty big club, with money, vision and in a big league which also features Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s arch rival. Messi goes to Italy and challenges for the Serie A title
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that Ronaldo’s club has won nine years in a row, it’s all well scripted.
Newell’s Old Boys
Messi’s boyhood club in Argentina. Some think he’ll end his career there. But the end isn’t that near. So Newell’s probably isn’t on the radar yet. Messi will definitely still be looking at competing in Europe for at least two more seasons before contemplating a move back home.
Messi’s statement of intent
Lionel Messi failed to show up for a coronavirus test at Barcelona’s training ground on Sunday (August 30), casting further doubt on his future at the La Liga giants. Under La Liga rules, without passing a test, Messi will be unable to take part in pre-season training under new coach Ronald Koeman, with the 2020-21 season set to start in two weeks. Messi was the only absentee at the test. Sunday’s missed test will only increase speculation that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is determined to end his 20-year association with the Catalan giants.
While it remains to be seen whether Lionel Messi actually makes the shocking move away
from Barcelona, the writing was on the wall for some time now. Earlier this year when Barcelona’s players announced they would be taking a 70% pay cut to help the club through the coronavirus pandemic, Messi took another not-so-subtle swipe at the board for the way they had publicly handled negotiations. Eventually, the offfield battles with his own club, coupled with the team’s failings on the pitch to have become too much. It has now been five years since Barcelona won the Champions League while their 8-2 hammering seems to be the last nail in the coffin for their superstar. Ù
