The departure of Barcelona club legend and world footballing icon Lionel Messi has no doubt been a tough blow for everyone \u2013 not only in the Barcelona camp – to take. The Argentine maestro spent close to two decades defending the Garnet and blue stripes, and due to the club\u2019s gross mismanagement of their own finances, he was finally forced to leave.<\/p>\n
And now, disclosed for the first time ever – according to the ever-reliable Marsal Llorente – Barcelona had actually already decided to part ways with their talisman Messi even a month ago. Reportedly, both club president Joan Laporta and Bar\u00e7a CEO Ferran Reverter had already pre-meditatively decided that Messi did not enter their economic plans at all, or fit into their salary limits.<\/p>\n
Well cognizant of this, Laporta, playing the role of the good guy and club savior, then simulated negotiations with Messi\u2019s camp until the talisman would have to join the team in the pre-season. The proof of all this is with Pepe Costa, Messi\u2019s right-hand man, as well as the director of the Office of Attention to the Player<\/em>. Messi\u2019s contract ended on the 30th of June yet despite that he still did not receive any renewal offer.<\/p>\n During his press conference, Laporta stated that the bare minimum in salary that Messi was willing to accept to play for the club was still far too much for the club to handle. Bar\u00e7a simply were incapable of paying what Messi asked for, and thus there would be no agreement at all whatsoever because Laporta already knew beforehand he was not going to sign.<\/p>\n