27 Aug, 14:54 (IST)

Lionel Messi has asked to leave Barcelona this summer. But how did it come to this? Messi was always Barcelona. Their most treasured player, captain, inspiration and an attraction for players to join the club.  His time at Camp Nou though seems to have come to an end. But why? This twitter thread might explain just why. 

27 Aug, 13:13 (IST)

Fans have found it difficult to come to terms with Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for a different club this summer. Many have taken to the streets in Barcelona to protest against club president Josep Maria Bartomeu demanding his resignation while some have just broken down. This fan broke down and couldn't stop crying on hearing that Messi will be leaving this summer.  

27 Aug, 10:19 (IST)

Lionel Messi and Barcelona fans have staged protests outside Camp Nou demanding club president Josep Maria Bartomeu's resignation. The protests started from late Tuesday evening after Messi informed the club of his wish to leave this summer. Fans entered the club facility on Wednesday to speak to Bartomeu and request Messi to stay. Read More

Lionel Messi wishes to leave Barcelona. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has been at the Blaugrana club for the last two decades, has expressed his desire to depart from Camp Nou 20 years after stepping foot at the facility for the first time. Mesi’s wishes though were born out of repeated failures and regret of seeing the club’s decline. He last won the Champions League in 2015 and has seen Barcelona battered and knocked out by opponents from the UCL in the last four seasons. And if that was not enough, the Argentine also lived to see his side drop a two-point lead and hand over the La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid. It seems he has seen enough. Messi wants to leave. Meanwhile, stay tuned for all latest live updates and news of Messi’s transfer away from Barcelona. Lionel Messi Transfer News: A Look Back At Latest Happenings of The Day Related to Messi Quitting Barcelona.

Messi, 33, has just one year remaining in his current Barcelona contract. He expressed his desire to leave the club following his talk with new coach Ronald Koeman, who reportedly told the Argentine that his days of seeking special attention was over. Koeman asked Messi to be more selfless and that after the Argentine had spent two decades dragging the club and inspiring them to title wins was certainly rude. Lionel Messi vs Barcelona! From Josep Bartomeu Presence to Pay Cut to Ernesto Valverde Sacking, 5 REASONS Why Messi Has Asked For Shocking Exit From Spanish Club.

The Argentine expressed his desire to leave the club through a burofax on Tuesday. The burofax is a document that courts accept as proof in Spain. Messi’s camp have also informed the club that the Argentine will leave for free and will join a club of his own will. Barcelona board through have stated that the clause in Messi’s contract that allows him to leave for free expired in May. But Messi’s representatives countered the statement by explaining the extraordinary nature of the recently concluded season due to the global pandemic. The transfer saga certainly looks far from over.