Sports Day: Messi "will end his working life in Barcelona"

Lionel Messi should remain with FC Barcelona for a long time.

(Photo: imago images / AFLOSPORT)

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu of the Spanish football champions FC Barcelona has no doubt that the continued employment of superstar Lionel Messi with the Catalans is only a matter of form. "We are negotiating with some players, but Messi has told us that he wants to stay," said Bartomeu at Movistar, "we will be able to enjoy it for some time."

The Argentinian will "end his working life and his footballing life in Barcelona," said the club boss. On Friday, Spanish radio station Cadena Ser reported that Messi had temporarily stopped negotiations to extend the contract beyond 2021. The 33-year-old is annoyed, among other things, that confidential information always comes up and that he is made responsible for decisions with which he has nothing to do.