It’s always been the penultimate question on almost everyone’s mind how Lionel Messi would eventually leave Barcelona, that is if he were actually to make his exit after close to two decades having adopted Barcelona as his homeground. All this while, in almost every scenario, it was just naturally assumed that he would eventually part ways with them on harmonious terms.
Unlike his perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the Barca talisman had for his entire career so far been a one-club man, a Barcelona stalwart who took the early Johan Cruyff glory days to an even higher pinnacle of success previously unimagined, under the mentorship and supervision of his mentor, Pep Guardiola.
However, the stark reality of the current situation is now a polarising contrast as a bitter exit appears to be inevitable as Messi has again been provoked and needlessly irked by acrimonious comments made in the last week by some of his latest detractors who have risen up to take potshots at him to show their unveiled dislike and disapproval of his long enduring pre-eminence at Camp Nou. As such, the quietly simmering ambers of a once-incendiary furnace have again been rigorously stoked to burn anew, provoking a vocal cathartic reaction from the man known for his usually quiet demeanor off the pitch.
Football-Espana reported on some comments that were picked up by Mundo Deportivo, and one certainly doesn’t need to consult the oracles to discern that Messi’s patience with the club is quickly running pretty thin.
“I’m tired of always being the problem for everything at the club…”
This, coming directly the lips of Messi immediately upon his arrival in Barcelona back from leading his beloved Argentina to another win at the World Cup qualifiers, doesn’t even vaguely sound like the arrival of Ronald Koeman has done anything to alleviate Messi’s earlier discontentment with Barca in any way. Perhaps then the only way this can really fix itself is through the Presidential elections in January next year where a change could see a new President with his head properly screwed on who could finally bring along with him a manager like Xavi who is liked by most Cules and someone Messi knows well and accepts.
It’s also not far-fetched to assume that those behind the scenes skulking around in the corridors of Barca want the club to finally end the legacy Messi has contributed to all his years there for them to pursue their own nefarious ambitions in seeking gain and glory for themselves.
Perhaps they feel the only way to do that is to surreptitiously instigate Barca’s stalwart, impassioned fans to turn against him to force him to leave on his own volition. If this were the case, then truly one can only foresee the true beginning of the end of the magnificent Blaugrana glory and legacy that all past and present legends of the club have contributed so valiantly to.
It would not be a total surprise at all to see the truly quintessential talisman of Barca take his final bow at the end of the season with true sadness in his heart for the beloved club and city that’ve been his home since he joined their ranks as a most promising and plucky teenager fleet of foot and mercurial in movement on any football pitch in any stadium in the world.
We can all only await with bated breath to see the conclusion of the final chapter and look forward with eager anticipation for the beginning of a new one for this living legend.