Messi informs Barcelona that he’s not going to sign a new contract
According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Messi informed Barcelona president last summer during a private meeting, but the Catalan side’s number 1 hopes to persuade the Argentinean star to change his mind like a few months ago when he had decided to end his International career with Argentina before taking a second thought and make a U-turn to return to Argentina squad.
The reason behind Messi’s decision is mainly linked with a 21-month sentence for tax fraud. Both Messi and his dad reportedly feel they’ve been mistreated by the Spanish law and want to leave Barcelona once Messi’s contract expires.
Barcelona president José Maria Bartomeu, however, doesn’t want to be remembered as the president who let Messi leave Barcelona and will do everything he can to make the 29-year-old change his mind and sign a contract extension like Neymar, Busquets and Mascherano have just done and how Luis Suarez, Ter Stegen, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic will do in a short while.
Lorenzo Bettoni @lorebetto
