Lionel Messi hasn't respected Barcelona in handing in a transfer request and the club will be fine without him according to one of their presidential candidates.
The news that the Barca icon has expressed a desire to leave the Nou Camp has come as a shock to the football world, with the 33-year-old seemingly exasperated at recent events in Catalonia.
Barca lost 8-2 to eventual European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this month, with that result leading to the departures of manager Quique Setien and sporting director Eric Abidal.
Ex-Barcelona defender and former Southampton and Everton boss Ronald Koeman has been appointed as the new head coach, but he has walked into a furious row between Messi and the club he joined as a child back in 2001.
The Barca icon would now like to activate a clause in his contract which he believes allows him to leave on a free transfer, but which is something that the club themselves dispute.
Former Barca director and current presidential candidate Toni Freixa says he's not too bothered about Messi's decision though.
"I am not overly concerned about Messi leaving because everything has an end," he told Radio Marca.
"What is important is that he did it in such an unfortunate way and without respecting the club."
Freixa is one of the candidates to replace the unpopular Josep Maria Bartomeu in the presidential hotseat, with the current incumbent potentially facing a vote of no confidence as anger grows around Messi's actions.
Manchester City, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with moves for the Barca skipper, but Freixa says that if he wants to leave he'll have to pay up his huge release clause himself given that he has one year left on his contract.
"I am surprised and disappointed as a Barcelona man. I am disappointed by what Messi has done," he continued.
"The contracts are to be fulfilled and what Messi has to do is come with €700m (£628m) and leave."
wutdenz
659
The are talking of respect , look how the treated Suarez is that respect 😤
Dawa_dadul
567
it is not that Messi is disrespecting barcelona.but rather Barcelona are disrespecting Messi.
moocdny
507
Dear @fcbarcelona, I stand for Messi today. I’ve watched him since I was 7. He has made you proud. He has made your name bigger. He has made you be called the best team in the world. He has played for you wholeheartedly. He has given you all his best. But you? What have you given back? Nothing other than being ungrateful. He never gets angry. He’s the humblest soul on this planet. The time he needed your support most, you turned your face away. He wants to leave. Tell me a player who has stayed in a club as long as Messi has. U are ungrateful. And you’re showing other players at Barcelona how awful you treat players. For that you might not be rebuilding. You might be just destroying the heart of Barcelona. May you start being reasonable because if u disrespect Messi, you will lose fans and won’t even get the views you used to get. Watch your actions. Your fan
Dihorstu
479
He stayed when our best player left, he stayed when Rosell and Bartomeu made scandal after scandal, he stayed despite carrying the team year in year out alone, he stayed despite humiliation after humiliation. Enough is enough, he can't waste his last years. Noone can blame him.
Puaacekpy
389
Am just saying
leo_avi
22
Am just saying
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It's because he already had a deal with Juventus without letting others teams know that he is leaving. Why do you have to disrespect other players? Disrespecting Ronaldo doesn't make Messi better and vice versa.
SaadAkhtarKhan
12
Am just saying
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can't u talk about one without mentioning the other? in some other article I saw a Juventus fan disrespecting Messi🤦♂️ stupid people are there in both sides🤦♂️🤦♂️
ManasRai17
8
Am just saying
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🖕and this is the only thing you wanted😂😂
danny7_ida
8
can't u talk about one without mentioning the other? in some other article I saw a Juventus fan disrespecting Messi🤦♂️ stupid people are there in both sides🤦♂️🤦♂️
That's a lie. Chelsea wanted him, psg too, ac milan, manunited, mls clubs, Chinese clubs were ready to pay 300million