Messi digs his heels in as he looks for a move away from Barcelona.
The Barcelona-Lionel Messi saga appears to only be getting started as according to Diario Sport, the Argentine superstar is set to miss to the teams PCR testing which are the tests done for COVID-19.
Messi remains steadfast in his decision to leave the club and his lawyers have informed the club of his decision.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, Messi is also set to miss the team’s first training session under new manager Ronald Koeman.
Both Messi and his father would like to have a meeting with club representatives in order to come to an amicable conclusion. The club’s stance continues to be that he is not for sale and refer to his exorbitant €700 million release clause.
His latest decision is further proof that despite the hopes of many Barcelona supporters, his mind is made up and there is no going back. Messi will not kick a ball again in a Barcelona jersey.
Barcelona losing the battle in the court of public opinion.
Given the stance both sides have taken, it appears that things will get worse before they get better and this saga could drag on for a while.
The last thing either side wants is for this to have to be settled in the courtroom. Particularly for Barcelona as many people have sympathized with Messi. The current board is perhaps the most unpopular board in club history and it will only paint them in a more negative light should this issue head to the courts.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu’s ploy of offering to step down if Messi publicly states that he will stay has not fooled anyone. It’s a tactic that he is using in order to save some face. If he offers to step down but Messi still leaves then he can say he did everything he could to get him to stay and it will make Messi out to be the bad guy in all this.
As it stands, we’ll have to wait and see the consequences of Messi’s refusal to show up for testing and the team’s first training session. With only a few weeks left until Europe’s top-flight leagues get started, ultimately, a decision will need to be reached.
As time ticks by, Barcelona may face no other choice but to budge. The only thing worse than losing the best player in club history is losing him on a free.