The president firmly took his position and made it clear to the Argentinean that he would not be leaving for anything under his €700 million release clause, which was vital in prompting Messi to change his position.
Bartomeu’s position was vital in prompting Messi to change his position
Lionel Messi’s decision to stay at Barcelona for the 2020/21 season can be seen as a victory for Josep Maria Bartomeu. The president firmly took his position and made it clear to the Argentinean that he would not be leaving for anything under his €700 million release clause, which was vital in prompting Messi to change his position. But any celebrations that Bartomeu would have planned were thwarted by Messi’s interview. Hurt by the way he’s been treated, No.10 took no punches and was evident in his criticism of the president. Messi has been critical of the club’s figures in the past but has never been as direct about the president as he was on Friday.
The Barcelona star talked about a nonexistent project that Bartomeu had at the club. It even accused him of being a liar for promising Messi could leave whenever he was happy. Only to deny him his exit when that time comes. Messi made it clear that the club has a significant conflict between the captain and the president. Soon, Bartomeu will go to the players to ask them to lower the salary that the dressing room will receive poorly. One storm has passed at Camp Nou, but there is a lot of danger ahead.