BARCELONA — Barcelona fans breathed a sigh of relief on Friday, after Lionel Messi ended weeks of speculation by announcing he had decided, with reluctance, to stay at the club.
Messi, who made a shock announcement that he wanted to leave his lifelong club last month, said he would see out his contract until 2021 in order to avoid taking Barca to court.
After 10 days of whirlwind hysteria surrounding Lionel Messi’s potential departure from Barcelona, the Argentine maestro announced he’ll stick around with the only club he’s ever known as a professional, at least for a little while longer.
BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi ended speculation about his future at Barcelona by announcing on Friday that he would reluctantly stay for another season rather than tackle his career-long club in court.
A week after saying he wanted to leave the Liga side, and with a contract row still raging, the 33-year-old six-time player of the year gave the news Barca fans were hoping for.
In doing so, however, the Argentine forward took a big swipe at the club's hierarchy.
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
Gareth Bale will consider a return to the Premier League if his current club Real Madrid allow him to end his stint in Spain, the Wales international has said.
The 31-year-old was on the verge of leaving for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last year before the deal fell through and he barely featured for Real in their run to the LaLiga title when the campaign resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage.
Despite winning four Champions League titles with Real, Bale has divided opinion in Spain because of a perceived lack of commitment and poor injury record.
BARCELONA — Lionel Messi's father and agent met Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to discuss the player's wish to leave the club but the talks ended in stalemate, Spanish media reported.
Earlier, Jorge Messi said it would be "difficult" for his son to remain with Barcelona, the only club he has ever played for professionally.
For so many at Barcelona, the 2019-20 season represented a step too far. In hindsight, changes should’ve certainly happened sooner, but you can’t begrudge footballers for desperately clinging to the Blaugrana shirt (and their lavish contracts), as your career is only on a downward trajectory after playing in front of 100,000 at the Camp Nou.
In the wake of Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke of “a disaster” that necessitated “some decisions” because “this isn’t the Barça that we believe in.”
The Lionel Messi transfer saga has provided the excitement we've all craved during a quiet transfer window, as every club has hope of signing the world's best player (no, he's not going to MLS).
Israeli international forward Shon Weissman has completed a move to LaLiga's Real Valladolid from Austria's Wolfsberger AC.
Weissman moves to Valladolid, the club majority-owned by Brazilian legend Ronaldo, on a contract until 2024. Manager Sergio Gonzalez's side was in need of a striker after the loan deals of forwards Enes Ünal and Sandro Ramirez expired. Weissman, 24, had moved to Austria from Israeli side Maccabi Haifa last summer. Valladolid broke its transfer record to sign Weissman on a $4.7 million deal as a result of his prolific lone season in Austria.