Argentine footballing superstar Lionel Messi did not show up for training on Monday at the Barcelona Football Club facilities in the latest push to move away from the team, media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2020) Argentine footballing superstar Lionel Messi did not show up for training on Monday at the Barcelona Football Club facilities in the latest push to move away from the team, media reported.
Earlier in the month, Messi had notified the club of his intention to transfer elsewhere after a crushing 8-2 Champions League defeat at the hands of eventual title-winners Bayern Munich.
According to Spanish football newspaper Marca, the 33-year-old skipped the latest training session after not showing up for a COVID-19 PCR test over the weekend.
A legal battle appears to be brewing over Messi's future. His legal team claims that a clause in his contract allows him to leave on a free transfer at the end of any season. The Spanish football governing body on Sunday said that Messi may only leave if his 700-million-euro ($835 million) release clause is paid to the club.
Super-spender clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been rumored to be eyeing moves for the six-time Ballon D'Or winner.
Messi has been part of the club since 2000 and has won dozens of trophies and even headlined two treble-winning seasons. The club's last Champions League win, however, came in 2015 and it has since suffered humiliating exits from the competition annually. It is widely believed that Messi has been increasingly at odds with the way the club is run.
