5 major reasons that led to Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona
In a shocking turn of events, Barcelona confirmed via their social media that Lionel Messi will not continue at the club from next season. After months of speculation and surreal predictions, this astonishing news has sent shock waves all around the footballing world.
If earlier reports were to be believed, Lionel Messi had never been closer to signing a contract extension with the club of his dreams, and the deal was supposed to be as good as done.
Nevertheless, the talismanic forward, who was left without a club post-July, is now the most lucrative free agent in the history of football after being let go by Barcelona in an unceremonious fashion.
Lionel Messi leaves after 21 years with Barcelona
Having signed his first contract as a 13-year-old on a piece of napkin, Barcelona has been more of a home for the gifted playmaker than his native in Argentina. Together, Lionel Messi and the Blaugrana have won a staggering 35 accolades, conquering every possible title under the sun.
The 34-year-old magician is the best player in the history of the club, by a mile. 672 goals in 778 appearances, topped with 305 assists. The numbers stop making sense after a point. His individual record at Barcelona is freakishly inhumane. A record-breaking six Ballon d'Or wins, eight Pichichi titles and three UEFA Best Player of the Year awards are just some of the insurmountable number of honors won by Lionel Messi in his 21-year stay at Camp Nou.
As it stands though, the little magician has officially left Barcelona. There exists, however, a hoard of reasons behind this exit. Even though financial restrictions are slated to be the driving factor behind Lionel Messi's untimely departure, this situation has been a long time in the making. Here, we deconstruct 5 such aspects of this unfortunate ordeal that resulted in one of the saddest break-ups in sporting history:
#5 Messi outgrowing the club
If one is stated in a position of control, one expects to see results based on the decisions he or she makes. Unfulfillment of those calls will result in obvious disappointment, leading to certain consequences that the person in question can choose, based on the degree of his power.
A similar case can be made out of Lionel Messi's stance with Barcelona. The Argentine was so important to the club, so much so that the organization went to any lengths to keep their talisman happy. The 26-time Spanish champions have been known to alter their decisions based on Lionel Messi's reactions. Case in point: Quique Setien's horrid tenure at Camp Nou.
Consequently, the sacking of Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal, two of the closest acquaintances to Lionel Messi, backfired for Barcelona. This, coupled with his lack of faith in Ronald Koeman's vision, propelled the Argentine to submit a transfer request last year.
Even though the Blaugrana managed to keep Lionel Messi at the club for one more season, they achieved it because of a technicality in his contract. Their relentless pursuit of making him stay made one thing clear. Lionel Messi's pulling power at Barcelona extended the boundaries needed to maintain a healthy relationship.
#4 Back-to-back Champions League humiliation
Barcelona have won five Champions League titles to date, four of which have come during the 'Lionel Messi era' of the club. Having played with one of the most organized footballing sides of our generation, the Argentine became a victim of gross mismanagement in his latter days. Following in the footsteps of fan-favorite Luis Enrique, former Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde could neither replicate his predecessor's impact on the club nor win the approval of the Barcelona faithful.
The Catalans' second-leg drubbing at the hands of Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 18/19 Champions League season will always stick out like a sore thumb, especially for Lionel Messi. The Argentine experienced one of his best individual campaigns on the continental stage that year, scoring 12 goals, including that audacious curler against the Reds.
However, for the second season running, Barcelona failed to secure the tie after a comprehensive first-leg win, crashing out of the competition with their tails between their legs. Roma in 2018, Liverpool in 2019, and an 8-2 humbling at the hands of Bayern Munich in 2020 completed a triad of humiliating defeats in the UCL, never before experienced by a club of Barcelona's stature. Having done his utter best, the latter brought Messi to the brink of total collapse.
Also read: Top 5 goals scored by Barcelona's Lionel Messi in finals