“Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of Spanish La Liga regulations on player registration.
As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.
FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.”
And with those words, a glorious era came to an abrupt end this evening and the iconic Lionel Messi is finally a free agent.
The announcement that shook the world is already generating an earthquake of a question: which club would Messi join next? Who would clinch this immensely talented player who along with Cristiano Ronaldo has been the very definition of genius in world football in the past decade?
The answer is indeed blowing in the wind.
