Football Business : Lionel Messi hands in transfer request to Barcelona, fans ask Board to resign
Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club after nearly two decades with the Spanish giants. The club confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Argentina great sent a document expressing his desire to leave.
The announcement comes 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 has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards during his time at Barcelona as the top player in the world, and has helped the club win 10 Spanish league titles and four Champions League crowns.
Barcelona fans protested against the club’s board following reports that Messi has asked to leave the club after two decades. Fans have demanded Josep Maria Bartomeu and board resignations after the reports.
Supporters gathered outside Barca’s headquarters on Tuesday night amid widespread claims that their most beloved and celebrated player had formally requested to move on this summer.
Some wore ‘Messi 10’ shirts, while jerseys bearing the Argentine’s name were also held aloft as the crowd appeared to make their feelings clear on a potentially momentous day in the illustrious history of Barcelona.
Premier League 2020-21 : Is Manchester City gunning for Lionel Messi ?
Meanwhile Manchester City are reportedly busy trying to figure out if they can afford to sign Barcelona captain Lionel Messi.
According to ESPN,Pep Guardiola’s side are “crunching the numbers” to see if there’s any chance they can land the Argentine without breaking FFP rules.
Obviously City have a bit of previous when it comes to FFP but are still “seriously looking into the costs” of landing Messi.
The report doesn’t mention how much Messi might cost and reckon Barca aren’t willing to name a price yet. They want to see if “his desire to leave disappears or if he takes it public.”
The 33-year-old hasn’t said a word publicly said Barcelona’s Champions League thrashing by Bayern but is said to be angry and considering his future.
Messi is still on holiday, along with the rest of the first team.
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