The announcement from Barcelona officials about the departure of Argentine legend Lionel Messi, the historical captain of the club, after more than 16 years, was shocking news that shook the global sports community. The announcement came two months after Joan Laporta, the president of the Catalan club, stated that "the flea" would continue and extend his contract after agreeing to a pay cut. However, "the Blaugrauna" surprised everyone by revealing financial and structural obstacles related to La Liga regulations that prevented "the flea" from staying with the team.
Spanish media discussed the behind-the-scenes of the "sad night" in Catalonia and the departure of the Argentine legend from "Camp Nou." Spanish radio "Cuatro" indicated that Messi was set to sign the renewal contract for Barcelona on Thursday or Wednesday, noting that "the flea" was close to participating in the "Joan Gamper 2021" friendly tournament based on the agreement reached between La Liga and the American CVC fund to register the player's contract and resolve the problem.
The Spanish radio revealed a new reason for Messi's departure from Barcelona, commenting: "It is clear that Mr. Fran Reverter, the general manager of FC Barcelona, had a significant impact on Messi's inability to continue."
Renowned Spanish journalist Alfredo Martínez, who works for the Spanish network "Onda Cero," commented on the crisis of Messi's departure from "Barça," explaining that with La Liga's regulations, there would be issues if players were not freed or if some players' salaries were not reduced.
Martínez shocked "Barça" fans with a tweet on social media platform "Twitter," stating: "This is the harsh reality for Barcelona in the 2021-2022 transfer window; no Messi and no new signings."
The Spanish newspaper "Sport," regarding the crisis of "the flea's" departure, mentioned that Messi's family gave Joan Laporta some time to analyze alternatives in the negotiations for the new contract, while the family waited for "Barça" officials to make a final decision on the matter.
The report clarified that Barcelona officials, led by Joan Laporta, communicated in the final hours with Messi's family, informing them that there was no way to overcome the salary cap, making it impossible to legally register Messi's contract.
"Sport" continued its report by detailing the last meeting between Jorge Messi, Messi's father, and Joan Laporta, stating that negotiations between the two parties were "stalled" due to the inability of the Catalan club to comply with La Liga's rules, thus granting "Barça" full authority to Messi to search for a new destination.
The newspaper concluded its report, citing sources from Messi's family, that "Leo" had not officially spoken to any other club yet because he was convinced that the matter would end with a renewal signing with Barcelona.
