Fans raised slogans asking Lionel Messi to stay and Josep Bartomeu to resign. They chanted “Bartomeu resign” and “Messi stay”.
Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. (Photo by Pau Barrena / AFP)
Soon after the news of Lionel Messi expressing his wish to leave Barcelona har broken out, the fans started to crowd outside the Camp Nou to show support for their star player and urge him to stay.
According to report in Spanish and Argentine media, ESPN, Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday 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.
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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 has reached a boiling point after Barcelona’s embarrassing 2-8 beating against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
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The fans, meanwhile, gathered outside Barcelona’s home ground and raised slogans asking Messi to stay and Bartomeu to resign. They chanted “Bartomeu resign” and “Messi stay”, reported Goal.com.
Messi has a contract with the Catalan club until 2021 with a clause to leave the club at the end of the 2019-20 season which expired on July 31. The 33-year-old, however, has reasoned that since the season was played beyond the normal schedule due to the pandemic, his clause should also be extended.
The 33-year-old six-time Ballon D’Or winner, who has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, made his senior debut in 2004. Messi has played 485 appearances for Barcelona and scored 444 goals for them in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Barca were knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao in February and Friday’s humiliation against Bayern means the club ends the season without a trophy for the first time in 12 years.
It was the first time since 1946 that Barcelona conceded eight goals. Their last such embarassment had come 74 years ago when Sevilla defeated them 8-0. Exiting the Champions League, Barcelona finished their season without any significant title for the first time since 2008.
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