Barca in a stronger position, says sports lawyer
Lionel Messi's shock announcement that he wants to leave Barcelona appears like the opening salvo in negotiations around the details of his contract and the all-important get-out clause, a Spanish sports legal professional said on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Argentine has declared his wish to leave the club whose academy he joined at the age of 13, beginning a glittering career which has soured in the last 12 months beneath the management of president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Messi's lawyers have referred to a clause in the four-year contract he signed in 2017 which could have allowed him to leave the club free of charge, but only if he requested it by June 10.
They will argue that that date - nominally the end of the growing season - is currently irrelevant following the coronavirus delays that led to the season's extension and the team playing deep into August.
The club will argue that the May date is the relevant one therefore his departure now would trigger a monster 700 million euros ($827 million) release payment from any interested club.
"I believe Barcelona is in a more robust position but Messi has certainly showed the weakness Barcelona may have," sports and business attorney Santiago Nebot, who has acted as general counsel for Spanish soccer players' union AFE, told Reuters.
"If he says to Barcelona I wish to go, give me a free of charge transfer and Barcelona says no, there is completely nothing he can do," said Nebot, who has not seen Messi's contract and based his assessment on media reports.
"He's showing this weapon, saying I would like to leave unless you sit back and negotiate, I'll try to use this clause, saying that it extends over time and you could interpret it to be applicable now.
"Due to COVID, what they have to assess along with the date may be the intention of the parties," he added. "Why June 10? Because June 10 is 10 days following the last match or since it is 20 days prior to the transfer window opens on July 1?".
Previously Wednesday, Barcelona's technical secretary Ramon Planes said "our idea at the club continues to be to create a new winning cycle around the best player on the globe...we will work internally to convince Leo".
Nebot agreed.
"They need to negotiate in order that he stays, convince him to remain this year and await a really good season, bring him a good team and a lot of victories in order that he really wants to finish his career at Barcelona," he said. "I think that is their plan."
