Lionel Messi 'Forced To Leave' FC Barcelona: Real Reason for Widthrawal Revealed

Lionel Messi will leave FC Barcelona after contract talks fell through owing to "financial and structural obstacles" relating to Spanish league spending restrictions, the club stated Thursday. 

According to their official website, it read, "Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of Spanish LaLiga regulations on player registration."

The site further stated that Messi would no longer continue with FC Barcelona due to the situation, explaining that they deeply regret it as both parties' wishes were not ultimately fulfilled.

As they concluded, FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandizement of the club.

They also wish him the very best for the future in his personal and professional life. As reported by ESPN, the 34-year-old football player has been a free agent since his previous terms expired on June 30.

However, in July, Messi and Barcelona tentatively agreed on a five-year extension. Lionel Messi has been with Barça since 2004, earning 10 La Liga titles plus four Champions Leagues with the Catalan club.

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Messi's Attempt To Leave In 2020

The athlete who won his first Copa America with Argentina last month admitted that in the summer of 2020, he wanted to leave "all year" and claimed a clause in his contract meant he could do so for free.

Yet, in the end, Messi was forced to stay as Barcelona disagreed, and they were not willing to reduce the €700 million ($897 million) release clause. Messi said that his love for the club meant he had no plans of disputing the club's decision in court and dragging out a legal dispute.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo published Messi's previous contract that ended in June to be worth $673 million, making him the highest-paid athlete in sports history.

Barcelona's spending limit dropped from more than $700 million to about $410 million since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to this article, the Catalan club's salary cap is expected to decrease again for the 2021-22 season.

Following the report regarding Messi's withdrawal from the club, the issue sparked on Twitter now that fans claimed the athlete was "forced to leave" after he was forced to stay in 2020.

Fans React On His Withdrawal

As soon as the news reached the Twitter community, the word "Messi" made it to the top 2 of US Trends as fans sent their messages thanking Leo for all the hard work he made in his stay with Barça.

The Twitter account of 433 listed down Messi's legendary goals, trophies, and assist counts, giving him recognition for all the games he fought.

More fans thanked the athlete for his job well done for the past years as a part of FC Barcelona, as his era of being #10 on the team ends here.

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