First team technical secretary of FC Barcelona, Ramon Planes, has hinted that the Catalan club is working internally to convince Lionel Messi to stay after reports of the veteran footballer expressing his wish to leave emerged.

“We only have enormous respect for Leo Messi. Barca and Leo are like a marriage, where both have given so much to each other, and have brought so much joy to the fans. I think the future is positive. I am an optimist. We need experienced players, like Leo Messi, as well as players for the team’s future. We are putting every effort into ensuring that the relationship between Barça and Messi will continue. We are working internally to convince Leo,” he was quoted as saying by Barcelona’s official website.

Asked about the return to training, Ramon Planes added that “Messi has not told us that he does not want to report for duty. But any communication that might occur between the two parties is an internal affair. We shall not be making any statement on the situation out of the respect that both Messi and the club deserve.”

According to report in Spanish and Argentine media, 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.

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.

Meanwhile, after the news of Messi’s latest decision had broken out, hundreds of fans started to crowd outside the Camp Nou to show support for their star player. They 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.