Barcelona is restless. Barcelona is shaken by the probable departure of Lionel Messi. If Bayern Munich’s 2-8 was a blow to the head, the news revealed yesterday by RAC-1 It definitely fell like a bomb for all the Barça fans. The Catalan radio assured that the Argentine star informed the new coach Ronald Koeman that he is seen more outside than inside the club. Instead of being diluted and falling under its own weight, as has happened for so many years with numerous other articles referring to the future of 10, this time the news acquired a lot of force as the hours went by, to the point that it was hung main sports newspapers in Spain. The parties wanted it to be known.
Leo’s annoyance is understandable. Not even the most pessimistic of the Catalans fans expected a humiliation as great as that suffered against the Germans, in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The difference was so brutal that it made the forward wonder whether or not he’s in the right place. That is, it made him rethink its continuity. Never in history, with him on the court, had his team received five touchdowns; It turns out that this time there was little left for there to be 10, which could have been, perfectly. As expected, something snapped.
Messi warned it. He was never so critical of Barcelona as in this 2020. He has never been so dissatisfied and disappointed in his colors as this season. He even made them a fortune teller, because on two occasions he warned that failure was just around the corner. “Today we are not enough to win the Champions League,” he said in February, after drawing 1-1 with Napoli, in the first leg of the round of 16. Then, in July, that is, just a month ago, he threw darts again, after losing La Liga to Real Madrid, the archrival. “I said it was not enough for us for the Champions League, but it was not enough for us even for the League.” They were signs. Symptoms of a disease that was progressing. He certainly saw it coming. Like on the court, something was already brewing in his head before anyone could know it.
Now, there have already been attempts to escape by the crack. The most credible? The Argentine himself revealed it last year in an interview, precisely, with the same radio station that yesterday leaked his wishes. “When I had all the trouble with the tax, I honestly thought of leaving. Not for wanting to leave Barça, but for wanting to leave Spain. I felt that I was being very mistreated and did not want to be here anymore “He said on that occasion, referring to the 21-month prison sentence he received in July 2016 for an alleged fraud to the treasury of almost US $ 5 million, a penalty that he commuted when he paid a fine of US $ 300 thousand.
“2013 and 2014 was a time when my family and I had a really bad time. I was the first, and that’s why it was so hard. They showed that by going for everything with me, they were going for all footballers and athletes. So it was…”he added in the same note.
However, in that same interview, the following statement was issued: “It is increasingly clear to me that I want to retire in Barcelona. Especially for ours, for what I feel for the club. Later, for the familiar, how well we are here. For not changing the friendships of the children. I don’t want that to break. I had to live it and I don’t want them to go through the same thing. We believe that we can stay here the rest of our lives, continue living here once retired ”.
In the end, in the middle of the aforementioned financial investigation to which he was subjected, the 10 signed a millionaire contract with Barcelona and ended up staying. All very friends. He stayed and luckily for him he won the next edition of the Champions League, in the 2014-2015 season, at the hands of Luis Enrique. It would be the last time the Orejona would rise.
Precisely, the Spanish columnists agree: Barça wasted Messi’s best years, squandered his greatness. Having won only one Champions League in the last eight speaks for itself of a club whose project was obsolete, which despite having the best player in the world was not able to prevail in Europe in the last time and which, in the meantime, saw how Madrid enlarged its legend with three Champions in a row.
That Leo wants to go, because he wants to go, the Hispanic press assures with conviction. Whether he leaves or not, that is something else. It won’t be easy either. The 700 million clause of dollars that he has in his contract does not seem even to reach PSG, Inter or Manchester City, the clubs that are on the lookout for 10. In addition, an item of his link allows him to leave before June 2021, when it ends, so at the end of the year he can be released, according to the Catalan media.
Anyway, he has plenty of arguments to leave. Just as skeptics have reason not to believe in the withdrawal of crack. Why? Because she already did it with the Argentine team after losing the final of the Copa América Centenario against Chile, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. “It is incredible, but I do not give it. It’s a shame, but it has to be done, it doesn’t happen. We look for it and that’s it. The first thing that comes to mind is that that’s it, the selection is over for me. There are four finals and it is not for me, unfortunately I looked for it, it was what I wanted the most, but it was not given to me, that’s it. Is it a decision made? I think so ”, announced, with teary eyes and broken voice, the captain from Albiceleste in the same mixed zone post-final. However, he returned to the selection as if nothing had happened.
Will this be the final escape attempt? Will everything be solved with a new and succulent salary increase? Will have to see. There were always rumors. For example, after the two fierce comebacks suffered by the Catalans against Roma and Liverpool, in Europe, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, there was always speculation about the future of the star. However, it remained in the Ciudad Condal.
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