Messi Divorce: ‘Bombshell’ Fax Signals End of Era, Legal Fight at Barcelona
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15 Sports Thursday, August 27, 2020 Messi divorce: ‘Bombshell’ fax signals end of era, legal fight at Barcelona Speculation swirled about Messi’s departure after a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern MADRID: Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi son disrupted by the coronavirus opened the way told Barcelona he wants to leave — on a free trans- for Messi to ask to be released from his contract fer — in a “bombshell” fax on Tuesday that is ex- now,” wrote Spanish sports daily Marca. pected to trigger a legal battle over a buy-out “It’s the first step towards opening negotiations clause worth hundreds of millions of dollars. over his departure, on the basis of which his release Signalling the end of an era at Barcelona, where clause amounts to 700 million euros ($828 million).” Messi is the record scorer and has won four Cham- Messi joined Barcelona’s youth academy at the pions League titles, the disgruntled Argentine wants age of 13 and made his debut in 2004 as a 17-year- to terminate his contract “unilaterally” by triggering old, before going on to score a club record 634 a release clause, a source told AFP. goals. But his future at Barca was thrown into seri- Relations have plummeted this year and specula- ous doubt by the 8-2 loss to Bayern, the first time tion swirled about Messi’s departure after this Barca had conceded eight goals in a game since los- month’s humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter- ing to Sevilla 8-0 in the 1946 Spanish Cup. final defeat to Bayern Munich, which left Barca with- The defeat has sparked drastic changes. Coach out a trophy for the first time since 2007. Quique Setien was sacked after barely six months in The 33-year-old’s demand sparked protests charge, and sporting director Eric Abidal was also against Barcelona’s under-fire president Josep dismissed. According to Spanish media, Messi met Maria Bartomeu outside the Camp Nou where with new coach Ronald Koeman last week and told Messi, synonymous with the club’s most successful the Dutchman he saw himself “more out than in” at period, is worshipped by fans. the club. “I don’t see him anywhere else. I can’t believe it,” Koeman has vowed to “fight to put Barca back on said Ruben Tejero, 28, one of about 100 fans at the top” and said at his unveiling he was hopeful Messi stadium calling for Bartomeu to resign. “I prefer to would remain at the club for several more years. But think it’s an ultimatum given to management for Bar- Koeman has reportedly told Luis Suarez he is no LISBON: In this file, Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi waves as he leaves the hotel to the stadium tomeu to go.” longer part of Barca’s plans, delivering a similar in Lisbon. Lionel Messi has informed Barcelona he wants to ‘unilaterally’ terminate his contract with the Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter message to Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Spanish giants, a club source confirmed Tuesday. — AFP Milan are among those to have been linked to Messi, Umtiti. who is among the greatest players in history and has wages to match, with a reported weekly salary of ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ posed an ageing team that Messi repeatedly had the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dis- nearly a million euros. “The club needs changes,” said defender Gerard said was simply not good enough. He said it in Feb- pute with the board in March regarding pay cuts Pique following the Bayern demolition. “Nobody is ruary and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath during the coronavirus pandemic. DRASTIC CHANGES untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, “Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, Barcelona have yet to react officially but are un- to change this. We’ve hit rock bottom.” Argentine but honest, assessment of their season. friend,” tweeted Barca great Carles Puyol, a long- derstood to believe Messi’s release clause expired sports daily Ole described Messi’s wish to leave as As his relationship with the club hierarchy grew time former team-mate of Messi, to which Suarez in June, and that he remains under contract until the a “complete bombshell”, but he has had regular dis- increasingly strained, Messi also reacted publicly replied with two applause emojis. Vidal also end of the 2021 season. “In principle, this clause ex- agreements with the club’s board in recent times. when Abidal appeared to blame the players for the tweeted: “When you shut a tiger in a cage he doesn’t pired on June 10, but the unusual nature of this sea- The Lisbon loss, Barca’s heaviest in Europe, ex- sacking of Ernesto Valverde in January. He also led give in, he fights back.” —AFP entire management team. Conte will now lead the club’s Germany to rest Conte commits bid to topple Juventus with coaching novice Andrea Pirlo having replaced Maurizio Sarri as coach at the Maguire withdrawn Bayern stars for nine-time reigning Serie A champions. to Inter Milan The 51-year-old Conte’s departure was being her- alded following an outburst after Inter Milan’s 3-2 Eu- from England squad Nations League games ropa League final defeat to Sevilla last week. “Now next season we’ll return to Milan, we’ll take a couple of days off. We after court case will try to plan the future of Inter with or without me,” BERLIN: Germany coach Joachim Loew omitted MILAN: Antonio Conte will continue at the helm of Inter said Conte, after the team missed out on a first trophy Bayern Munich’s Champions League-winning Milan next season, the club confirmed on Tuesday, only since 2011. “It has been a very tough season from all LONDON: Harry Maguire has been withdrawn players from his squad announced Tuesday for up- days after the fiery Italian hinted he was ready to quit points of view, the best decision must be taken for the from the England squad for their Nations League coming Nations League games against Spain and after just one campaign. good of Inter, with the utmost cordiality.” “I didn’t like matches against Iceland and Denmark after the Switzerland, giving them extra time to recover. Conte held a “constructive meeting focused on con- some situations.” Manchester United captain was given a suspended Captain Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, tinuity and strategy” with the club’s Chinese president The former Chelsea and Juventus boss took over in prison sentence following a brawl in Greece. Maguire was handed the punishment after being Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka were all left Steven Zhang and team management which lasted just May 2019 on a three-year contract worth a reported 12 found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest out for next month’s double-header, although over three hours in a villa outside Milan. million euros ($14 million) a season. But his relationship “The two parties laid the foundations to continue and repeated attempts of bribery. The 27-year-old Bayern centre-back Niklas Suele was selected with club management and CEO Giuseppe Marotta in working together on the club’s project,” the club said in defender plans to appeal against the verdict, but along with Leroy Sane following his switch from particular was reported to be tense. On the final day of a statement. Inter opted for continuity after finishing the domestic season Conte slammed the fact that players England manager Gareth Southgate opted to take Manchester City. second just one point behind champions Juventus, with had been offered “little protection from the club”. “I him out of the squad for September’s matches, just “My priority is the Euros next year because I the Chinese owners also confirming confidence in the don’t want another year like that.”— AFP hours after naming him in the group. know how much energy that will require, that’s why “In light of this evening’s developments, I can I’ve decided not to pick the players from Bayern or confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the Leipzig,” Loew said. Germany host Spain in England squad for the matches against Iceland and Stuttgart on September 3 and then travel to Basel Denmark,” Southgate told the FA’s website. “As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to re- four days later to play Switzerland. view the situation. Having spoken to Manchester RB Leipzig defenders Marcel Halstenberg and United and the player, I have made this decision in Lukas Klostermann were not considered either the best interests of all parties and with considera- after their team’s run to the Champions League tion of the impact on our preparations for next semi-finals in Lisbon. week.” Maguire, who denied all charges, was ar- Thilo Kehrer, who started for Paris Saint-Ger- rested along with his brother Joe and a friend main in Sunday’s final, was included as was Julian Christopher Sharman on Thursday after an alterca- Draxler, who made an appearance off the bench for tion with police on the Greek island of Mykonos. the French club. Maguire’s sentence of 21 months and 10 days in “Draxler and Kehrer are part of the squad be- prison was suspended because it was a first offence and the charges were misdemeanours. cause they’re coming off a long break in France Having flown back to England before the trial, where football was stopped and need to find some Maguire, who became the world’s most expensive rhythm again,” said Loew.