The Lionel Messi saga has taken another twist, with La Liga releasing a statement assuring the €700m release clause in his Barcelona contract is valid.
The Lionel Messi saga has taken another twist, with La Liga releasing a statement assuring the €700m release clause in his Barcelona contract is valid.
The statement from La Liga, as explained by Football Espana, says they will only allow Messi to be released from his Barcelona contract if the player’s release clause is matched or the club negotiate on a sale – but he cannot leave without one of those conditions being met.
Juventus, Inter, PSG and above all Manchester City lie in wait to see what happens next, as a legal battle has erupted between player and club.
Messi did not turn up to a medical test this morning, confirming that he believes himself to be a former Barcelona player who is not contractually bound to the Blaugrana.
He maintains the €700m release clause in his contract expired and is not valid for the 2020-21 season.
However, this afternoon La Liga took the unusual step of releasing their own statement confirming the clause is still valid.
It also, crucially, points out the ‘unilateral termination clause’ expired on June 26.
It means any club that wants to buy Messi must either negotiate directly with Barcelona – which President Josep Maria Bartomeu is unwilling to do – or pay the full €700m.
Considering Messi’s contract only runs to June 2021, that seems improbable, so the situation could well go to FIFA arbitration.