Lionel Messi and Barcelona have made their stances known. Now comes the messy part, full of legalese, threats and actions.
Barcelona has heard the request from one of its key players to leave and has finally given in.
Ivan Rakitic is going back to Sevilla.
As for the the request from its marquee maestro, that doesn't figure to be sorted anytime soon. The Lionel Messi saga has officially reached its messy phase.
It has almost been a week since Messi rocked the foundations of Camp Nou by revealing his desire to leave and relaying the message to the club via burofax. It's important to note that Messi hasn't actually publicly said anything–and comments attributed to him in an Argentine report regarding a desire to leave and be reunited with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City were evidently fake–but all signs so far point to this being far more than a power play to oust what he clearly sees as inept leadership in the Barcelona board room. The common thread in all of the reports surrounding his future makes it clear that this is not a ploy, but a genuine request to leave.
If only it were that easy. Even a man whose moves have mystified opposition entities for two decades may have to come up with something extra to get his way this time.
Barcelona is sticking by its contract with the player, which features an astronomical $835 million release clause and runs through the end of the coming season. Messi's side contends that a clause in that contract that would allow him to leave for free still exists, despite Barcelona's contentions that it expired in June. There is evidently some gray area, with Messi's side sure to argue that the intent of the clause was for it to be in place for after the last season ended. With the pandemic delaying the end of the season, Messi's side would contend that the exit clause should have been valid for longer, too.
Barcelona won't see it that way, though, and that's where the legal mess is set to ensue, starting with the precise wording of the exit clause and how it's interpreted by those with the authority to determine the outcome of the most seismic falling out between a club and megastar in recent memory. La Liga released a statement on Sunday supporting Barcelona's stance and coming over the top to state that the club's release clause remains the only way of triggering his exit (barring a sale negotiated at a lower price point for a more traditional transfer, one which Barcelona says it has no interest in entertaining).
It's no wonder La Liga is backing Barcelona. Never mind the contract precedent at stake, Messi is La Liga's greatest marketing tool, and with the league openly courting other markets around the world, suddenly being unable to offer one of the greatest to ever play the game as a selling point would be a drastic setback. To lose Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in a span of four summers would be devastating to the league's global appeal.
So where do things go from here? Messi was a no-show for preseason coronavirus testing over the weekend, which will prevent him from taking part in training under new coach Ronald Koeman and further digs his feet in for battle. Messi's father and agent, Jorge Messi, will reportedly meet on Wednesday with beleaguered Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, the man said to be at the root of Lionel Messi's deep level of discontent. It's hard to see an amicable solution that involves both Bartomeu and Messi remaining at the club, and even with club elections due for March, that's a long way away for a 33-year-old player whose chances to win at the highest levels are dwindling faster than ever. If that Wednesday meeting indeed occurs, it could wind up being the equivalent of the middle finger fight meme. Expecting either side to suddenly understand the other and relent is simply not realistic.
Even if Messi were to be able to go, the list of potential destinations remains finite, with only a select few clubs able to handle any potential transfer fee and wage demands for the Argentine. Man City remains the most likely destination given Messi's connection to Guardiola, the package the club could offer Barcelona in terms of players and cash if a transfer fee alone cannot be agreed upon and the quality of the challenge. But even then, a move so brazen would be scrutinized to the highest degree after Man City's recent and tumultuous Financial Fair Play battle.
But all of the posturing and projection about the future is getting far too ahead of the present. Barcelona was in crisis before the 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich and will still be locked in one after the Messi situation is resolved, whether he stays or goes. The worst of the storm is here, though. Barcelona has enjoyed the fruits of Messi's talents for nearly 20 years. The one-club man hardly exists anymore, but there's something iconic and romantic about it. That Barcelona has reportedly now said that the only way Messi can leave for free is by sitting out this season (or playing out his contract) is akin to holding him hostage. For players in Messi's pantheon, the end is supposed to be marked with a tearful victory lap inside a packed home stadium, a peaceful parting of the ways and laudatory remarks that go both ways, a final measure of mutual respect being paid.
Instead, it's looking like it'll be settled by burofaxes, courts and acts of insubordination. It's all just one giant, unfortunate mess.