Tuesday, August 03, 2021
But he is still without a club …
Messi “dwarfs” himself for FC Barcelona
It sounds crazy, but it is like this: Football superstar Lionel Messi is still without a club. But he doesn’t have to worry about not finding a club in the coming season. He will probably continue to play for FC Barcelona, but the struggle for a new contract is tough.
Less than two weeks before the start of the Spanish Primera División, the future of soccer superstar Lionel Messi remains uncertain. The president of FC Barcelona is still confident that the 34-year-old Argentine will continue to hunt for goals in the coming season with the Catalan club, where he was under contract for over 20 years. Messi wants to stay at Barça, assured Joan Laporta at the Camp Nou presentation of new signing Emerson Royal. The right-back is returning to Barcelona for nine million euros after two and a half years at Betis Sevilla.
Messi has been without a club since his contract expired on June 30. “We’ll do everything the club can to keep Messi,” said Laporta, admitting: “It’s not all done yet, but we’re making progress.” According to Spanish media reports, Messi and Barcelona reached an agreement of principles in mid-July. They wanted to sign a five-year contract, the professional would forego 50 percent of his previous salary so that the club could meet the requirements of the Spanish professional league, it said. Laporta said they wanted to achieve “that the league becomes more flexible in terms of conditions so that more reinforcements can be committed”.
Messi, meanwhile, has continued his family vacation in Ibiza. While the six-time world footballer is resting and posting holiday pictures on Instagram, the Barça professionals around Gerard Piqué and Antoine Griezmann continue to prepare for the new season after a 3-0 test match at VfB Stuttgart in Donaueschingen. The next preparation game at RB Salzburg is on the program on Wednesday. The first league game is on August 15th at home against San Sebastián.
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