Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has joined the French club Paris Saint Germain after leaving the Spanish Club in summer transfer window. The transfer came after Barcelona was unable to sign Messi due to financial obstacles. Both Messi and Barca were agreed on a contract but it was not possible to keep Messi at Barcelona. But if you are a Messi fan, then you might be aware of the fact that Leo tried to leave Barcelona in 2020. At that time, Messi deliberately wanted to leave Barcelona after conflicts and dissatisfaction with the management of the club. In 2020, Lionel Messi sent a burofax to the then Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu in an attempt to leave Camp Nou. That official letter or Burofax has now been revealed and is all over the internet.
In UEFA Champions League 2020, Bayern Munich thrashed Barcelona and later went on to become the UCL champions. On August 24, 2020, nine days after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat by Bayern, Messi sent that Burofax to Bartomeu. In that burofax, Messi expressed his desire to move away from Camp Nou. In Messi’s contract, there was a clause that Messi could leave if he requested to do so before June 10, 2020 – the scheduled end of the 2019-20 season. That deadline was obviously missed, but Messi argued that the delays were caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Barcelona did not accept the player’s request and refused to let Messi leave the club. After that, situation changed and Joan Laporta replaced Bartomeu as the president of Barcelona. Messi contract was due to expire on June 30, 2021 and he was also ready to continue with the club. But Barcelona‘s devastating financial situation could not afford to keep Messi, even though the 34-year-old was willing to take a 50 percent pay cut. Eventually, Lionel Messi left Barcelona and agreed to join PSG.
What did Lionel Messi’s burofax say?
“Dear Mr. Bartomeu,”
“Hereby, and in accordance with the provisions of clause 3.1 of the contract dated November 25, 2017, I hereby express my wish to terminate my employment contract as a professional footballer with effect from August 30, 2020.
“I understand that the time frame of the right of unilateral termination without cause regulated by the aforementioned clause must be interpreted in accordance with the exceptional circumstances in which the 2019/20 football competition season has taken place, due to the state of emergency and the situation of force majeure resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Due to these exceptional circumstances, the 2019/20 competition season ended yesterday, without prejudice to the fact that for our team, this end took place on August 15, when we returned to Barcelona after our elimination from the Champions League on the night of August 14.
“In any case, within 10 days following the end of the season of competition, and thus meeting the agreed deadline for exercising the aforementioned clause 3.1., in accordance with the material contract of our agreement, which must be interpreted in accordance with the exceptional circumstances of the 2019/20 season, I exercise my right to terminate the contract with effect from August 30, 2020, with the consequences provided for in the aforementioned stipulation 3.1.
“Yours sincerely,
“Lionel Andres Messi.”
