If Lionel Messi is really determined about leaving Barcelona will be confirmed on Sunday. The players of the Catalan club are expected to be present at the Ciutat Esportiva for their coronavirus tests, which must be taken and passed by each before joining the training sessions ahead of the next season.

Messi’s absence or presence at the testing centre will be his first public demonstration since the reports of him expressing his wish to leave Camp Nou emerged earlier this week.

Advertisement

Barcelona’s newly-appointed sporting director Roman Planes had said on Wednesday that the club management expected Messi to be present on Sunday for testing.

But according to Radio Catalunya, Messi’s lawyers have suggested him to stay away on Sunday as it could further complicate the situation and might damage his legal cause if his departure ends up being settled in court.

Barcelona confirmed earlier this week that Messi notified them about his desire to leave the Catalan club via burofax, a service used in Spain to urgently dispatch a document that requires proof to third parties.

Rumours have been afloat about the Argentine’s growing disparity with Barcelona management – especially with club president Josep Bartomeu – for a long time. Reportedly, it reached a boiling point after Barcelona’s embarrassing 2-8 beating against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

However, Barcelona have maintained that Messi’s contract had a clause that allowed him to move out of the club for free, but it needed to be activated by June 10. According to the management at Camp Nou, the only way he would be allowed to depart now is by paying the release clause of 700 million euros.

The lawyers of the six-time Ballon d’Or winners, on the other hand, argue that the clause doesn’t refer to a specific date but to 10 days after the end of the 2019-20 season.

European season generally ends of May 30. But, due to coronavirus pandemic, the last season ended last week with the final of Champions League being played on August 23.

Thus, Messi’s lawyers believe that the Argentine captain was in his legal right on wanting to leave.

If Messi doesn’t show up for tests on Sunday, and by extension pre-season training on Monday, it will suggest there is no going back.