Barcelona president could go to jail if Lionel Messi leaves
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is so desperate to keep hold of Lionel Messi as it has been revealed that the club’s soon to be ex-chief could face a heavy fine or even jail if he sells the Argentine maestro.
Messi reportedly wants out of Barcelona, becoming unhappy with his life at his boyhood club, more so after this season’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
The club legend isn’t returning to training any time soon and has threatened to take legal action against the club in order to be allowed to leave Catalonia as a free transfer.
Guillem Balague has revealed that Bartomeu’s strong tactics in front of the world in stating that the club won’t let Messi go are because the president could literally be imprisoned.
Reasons for Barto to insist on Messi staying. The coach wants him (when Koeman asked Barto, ‘do I have Messi’, president said, ‘yes’. Next day Jorge Messi rang Barto to tell him again that his son wants to go). Koeman has suggested that he’s make a strong team without Messi too
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 31, 2020
The presidential elections are due to take place in March, with Bartomeu and his associates refusing to step down earlier following the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich, and the problems would arise if the new man voted in arrives with no Messi at the club.
Meanwhile, Messi’s entourage believe the club’s all time top scorer should be able to leave the club for free, owing to a break in his contract, but the club want a buying side to pay his €700 million release clause.
Source: 90mins