Barcelona followers gathered outdoors Lionel Messi’s home on Monday and spoke of their disappointment on the membership’s best ever participant leaving after 21 years, whereas Paris St Germain followers eagerly awaited his arrival within the French capital.
A tearful Messi on Sunday bid farewell to the membership he has spent his total profession at and mentioned he was speaking with French membership PSG over a doable transfer.
“I feel devastated,” mentioned Cristian Garcia, carrying a Barca shirt with Messi’s identify and quantity 10 on the again outdoors the participant’s house.
“To see a player that I have always followed, who is an example for me, to see him leave now brings me a lot of pain.”
Unforgoatable. pic.twitter.com/iURB65lb0u
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 9, 2021
Messi mentioned he had agreed a 50% pay lower with the intention to keep at Barca and signal a brand new contract however was unable to finalise the deal because of the Spanish league’s monetary management guidelines and the membership’s money owed, which complete greater than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
La Liga mentioned final Wednesday it had secured a non-public fairness injection of two.7 billion euros from agency CVC, with the funds to be shared among the many golf equipment in return for 10% of the league’s income.
It had been believed this may permit Barcelona to get the Messi deal executed, however after Real Madrid rejected the proposal and mentioned they’d take authorized motion in opposition to La Liga, Barca additionally got here out in opposition to it.
“I don’t think the club has done enough to make him stay, I think it was in the club’s hands to make him stay, beyond the money,” mentioned Barca and Argentina fan Gonzalo Moreno.
Messi mentioned on Sunday that PSG was “a possibility” however that he had not but signed any deal.
EXPLAINED | Why Messi is leaving Barcelona
LEGAL COMPLAINT
One Barcelona fan was submitting a authorized grievance in Paris accusing the French soccer authorities of failing to implement their very own monetary honest play guidelines with the intention to assist PSG develop into a pressure in European soccer, a duplicate of the grievance seen by Reuters confirmed.
PSG and the French soccer league didn’t instantly reply to emailed requests for remark.
French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Sunday that Messi would journey to Paris on Sunday or Monday for a medical and to finalise a take care of the Qatar Sports Investment-owned membership.
Leo Messi: “The pic with Paris Saint-Germain was a coincidence, completely. I was there with my friends, we decided to take a photo… they told me: ‘Come to Paris!’ but it was just a joke, we were on holiday”. 🔴🇫🇷 #PSG #Messi pic.twitter.com/aKuh0LXQEd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2021
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that PSG had formally despatched their provide to Messi on Sunday morning.
While Messi didn’t verify he would positively be part of the Parisians, he mentioned his plans have been to hold on enjoying so long as doable, including he nonetheless harbours ambitions to win one other Champions League trophy.
“We’re waiting for a legend, the legend that is Leo Messi,” mentioned PSG fan Mehmet Sen, who had been ready on the gates to Paris’ Le Bourget airport since 2 a.m. for a glimpse of the star.
READ | Messi’s switch to PSG set to result in tactical complications
There have been no indicators of motion round Messi’s home within the hills of the rich Barcelona district of Castelldefels, nonetheless.
Youngster Jonas Romero outdoors the home mentioned he was “waiting to see if we can see Messi before he leaves for PSG,”, including that he wished the participant to signal his shirt and take an image with him.
Another fan, Saul Moreno, added: “I don’t want Messi to go to PSG, but I know he’s going to go.”
