Messi’s burofax was the talking point of the football world a year ago this time around. Although a year later, the player is not even in the club, it generates interest among the fans.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo has published exclusively, the document Messi sent to Barca a year ago.
Lionel Messi sent a burofax to then-Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu in late August 2020, that he wanted to leave the club. However, Messi stayed the season and departed a year later as a free agent.
On August 24, 2020, Messi made it clear to Bartomeu and his board that he was planning to leave on the 30th of that month by invoking a clause in the contract that allowed him to become a free agent.
Messi himself signed the document, as he specified the terms of the clause that allowed him to be released from his contract.
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What Messi’s burofax said
Messi quotes clause 3.1 of the contract he signed on November the 25th in the year 2017, in his burofax and explains his wish to terminate his contract with the club in accordance with it.
The contract clearly states that the player was able to terminate his contract with the club, unilaterally, before the 10th of June, 2020. However, the player must inform the club of his decision before the said date. But, because of the pandemic, the 2019-20 season had to be extended till the end of August.
Messi’s statement
Messi states the following regarding the issue.
“I understand that the time frame of the right of unilateral termination without cause regulated by the aforementioned clause must be interpreted in accordance with the exceptional circumstances in which the 2019/20 football competition season has taken place. The state of emergency and the situation of force majeure resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken into account.
Due to these exceptional circumstances, the 2019/20 competition season ended yesterday. Without prejudice to the fact that for our team, this end took place on August 15. We returned to Barcelona after our elimination from the Champions League on the night of August 14.
In any case, within 10 days following the end of the season of competition, and thus meeting the agreed deadline for exercising the aforementioned clause 3.1 . In accordance with the material contract of our agreement, it mus be interpreted in accordance with the exceptional circumstances of the 2019/20 season. Therefore, I exercise my right to terminate the contract with effect from August 30, 2020. With the consequences provided for in the aforementioned stipulation 3.1.
Yours sincerely,
Lionel Andres Messi.”
Barcelona forced Messi to stay
Ultimately, though, Messi did not leave the club.
Messi was forced to stay for an extra season, as he was obliged by the extension of his contract.
His contract with Barcelona ended on 30th June 2021. It was widely expected that the player would renew his contract with the Catalan club, as the management at the club had changed. Joan Laporta became the new president. Messi always liked Laporta as he prospered under him during the Spaniard’s first tenure as the president.
However, Barcelona’s bad financial situation meant that Laporta and his board could not afford to keep Messi. Despite the fact, the Argentine was willing to take a 50 percent pay cut.
President Laporta announced in a press conference that Barcelona could not afford to renew Messi. A day later Messi bid farewell to Barcelona. A few days later Messi signed for the French giants Paris Saint Germain as a free agent.
