The continuity of Leo Messi at FC Barcelona continues more in suspense than ever after the meeting that the Barça captain held this Thursday with the new coach, Ronald Koeman. Doubts overwhelm the Rosario after the frustration he feels over the defeat in Lisbon and the bad sports policy of the board chaired by Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“In the last two years I have tried to make changes that I thought were very important for the future of the first team. Despite my conviction and insistence, I have not succeeded, ”said Eric Abidal, who resigned from the year of his contract that remained as Barcelona's technical secretary. Abidal's departure was interpreted in some sectors as a concession to Messi.
- The vigor of the Koeman brand
- Bartomeu: "The pillar of Koeman's Barça is Messi"
On the 10th he had a very distant relationship with Abidal and was not particularly fluent with coach Quique Setién, dismissed in a bad way with a statement not even thanking him for his services and replaced by Koeman. The hiring of the Dutch coach and his statements in favor of Messi's continuity during his presentation paid for the player's reconciliation with Barça.
Koeman even requested an urgent meeting with Messi. The meeting was held this Thursday and the result was not what Barcelona expected. The RAC1 station reported that the Argentine has informed the coach that he is not clear about his future at the club and has assured him that he looks more outside than inside Barça. No club spokesperson wanted to assess the Koeman-Messi meeting.
The Barça captain, in any case, is aware of the difficulties he will have if he chooses to leave Barcelona. Messi, who has turned 33, has signed a contract until 2021 and his release clause is 700 million euros. Nor is it easy for a club to assume its record, which is around 50 million euros. The effects of the pandemic have otherwise disrupted the market; no major operations are expected for the next few months pending the conclusion of the Champions League.
Wait until january
Messi could choose to wait until January and start negotiating with the team that will bet on his services or, on the contrary, renew for Barcelona. Koeman, however, warned that he will only have players who want to be at Barcelona. The Dutchman aspires to structure a winning project, precisely the request of 10. The captain, however, is very skeptical after the last experiences he had at the Camp Nou.
The panorama is even more complex if one takes into account that next March 15 elections to the presidency of Barcelona will be held and some pre-candidate has already announced that he hopes to convince and have the support of Messi. The player, who is on vacation, does not seem to be in favor of continuing at Barça. The hope of the club is that their intentions have changed after listening to Koeman.
Messi is so annoyed that, unlike previous situations in which the conflict has been redirected, a traumatic exit from the Camp Nou is not ruled out.