A couple of weeks ago, the fate of Messi in Barcelona seems to have been decided. The Argentine football legend has called off negotiations with the Catalan football team over renewing his contract. The deal between the two will expire next summer, leaving the team just one year to find his replacement.
Disillusioned
In a report broadcast by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, it was revealed that the Spanish team’s captain is fed up with the club because he was repeatedly blamed for the unrest at Camp Nou.
Messi was accused of running the club, it seems, of hiring and firing coaches himself, of choosing who gets signed and who doesn’t, allegations that were apparently part of an organized campaign against current and former players and officials of the club. Among others, he was said to have forced the club to sign Griezmann, in one of the most expensive transfers in the club’s history.
The club’s relatively poor performance, reflected by its standings in La Liga and the odds Betway and other bookmakers posted recently, has been another thing Messi – Barca’s captain – was blamed for. Before Spanish football returned, Betway posted similar odds for Barca and Real Madrid to win the title. At one point, Barca was even the favorite for the title – ultimately, the team at Camp Nou fell short by 5 points, finishing the season second.
All of the above was more than enough for Messi to grow disillusioned with the club. Although he and the team have intended to negotiate a new contract earlier this year, the discussions ultimately fell through, and Messi walked away without a new contract. Apparently, this will be his final year with Barca – his contract expires next June.
A long and fruitful history
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini started playing football at the age of six, with Newell’s Old Boys in his native Rosario, Argentina. He showed his worth early, scoring more than 500 goals with the team, and being part of “The Machine of ’87”, the nearly-unstoppable youth team of the club. At the age of 10, in turn, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency – the club contributed to his treatment but only for a while.
With relatives in Catalonia, the family arranged for him to try out with Barcelona in 2000. Then-director Charly Rexach wanted to sign him immediately but the club officials hesitated because of his unusually young age. The family moved to Barcelona in 2001 but Messi was only signed into the Royal Spanish Football Federation and could start playing in all competitions (he could only play in friendlies for a whole year). In the coming years, Messi rapidly progressed in the ranks, playing for the third, the second, and the first team since 2004. Rexach’s feelings about him were right: he became one of the best footballers in the world wearing Barca’s colors.
Records
Over his career, Messi won six Ballon D’Ors, six European Golden Shoes, and 34 trophies with the club. He scored the most career goals in La Liga – 441 to date, the most hat-tricks in La Liga (36), and the most assists (182) in La Liga’s entire history. He broke the European record for the most goals scored in a single season (2011-2012) and has become Barca’s all-time highest goalscorer.
When he leaves Barcelona last year, the Catalan team will have lost a true legend.
