Apparently Barcelona’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has offered to resign if that’s what it takes to keep Lionel Messi at the club.
This is supposed to have taken place on the day after Barcelona’s sporting director, Ramon Planes, insisted the club “do not contemplate” Messi’s departure, and it emerged that Bartomeu, as first reported by TV3, has told the player’s father, Jorge, he is prepared to step down in order to convince Messi to stay. The caveat would be that the forward would have to publicly attribute the problem to Bartomeu, as such putting the onus on him to respond in a move seemingly designed to bring Messi into the open.
City are hopeful of seeing Messi exit on a free, while Barcelona continue to insist that suitors would have to pay his €700m buyout clause. There are mechanisms that can be applied, including City requesting an International Transfer Certificate from Fifa, but that is not without risks. A legal battle could ensue which is not really beneficial for either side, making a negotiated settlement more likely.
With Messi’s contract expiring next summer, there is a belief in Manchester that he would contemplate going a year without playing if needs be. The City Group see him as not just a player but a global ambassador with a huge impact across all their clubs. With the market open for another five weeks, there is a long way to go.
It is most unlikely that Messi would make a U-turn in response to Bartomeu’s offer appear, not least because he has previously complained about accusations of him being too powerful, effectively king-maker at the Camp Nou. If he were to do something that effectively removed the president, it would do little to alter those accusations. He distrusts Bartomeu and even the latter’s resignation would do little to resolve Messi’s doubts about Barcelona’s ability to build a team capable of winning the Champions League.
Moreover, if Bartomeu were to resign, this does not guarantee a regime change as he could resign but not call for elections, leaving the incumbent board in place until the presidential elections that have been recently rescheduled for next March. Jordi Cardoner, the vice-president, would then be the most likely candidate to take over as interim president.
Victor Font, the leading opposition figure and favourite to win the election, has said that when he spoke to Messi’s camp he was told the decision was already made. Although Font demanded Bartomeu resign immediately, he too conceded that the president’s departure would in any way serve to change Messi’s mind about leaving.
So far there has been silence from Messi, who on Sunday is due at Barcelona’s training ground for tests before pre-season training on Monday.
In the meantime, Luis Suárez has hit out at comments made about his case that he considers to be untrue. The Uruguayan, who has been told by Ronald Koeman that he is not part of the club’s plans and whose lawyers are negotiating to rescind his contract, posted a message on social media.
Alongside a hashtag that translates as #NotEverythingIsTrue, Suárez wrote:
“There are people speaking in my name or saying things about me when it’s years since I had a relationship with them. I speak when I have to speak and I speak for myself.”