‘Boastful’ Barcelona chief Bartomeu pats himself on once more for forcing Lionel Messi to stay — RT Sport Info

Bartomeu knowledgeable Catalan television neighborhood TV3 that “I acquired’t get into any battle with him. He’s our captain and the chief of our crew.

“I couldn’t let him depart the membership, he is the simplest participant of all time and the crew needs him. Having Messi is a guarantee of success.

“We now have seen him do his talking on the pitch and we have moved on from the saga. We must always at all times congratulate ourselves for getting Messi to stay with us and for the best way he has behaved in the last few days. The most effective participant on the earth must hold at our residence,” Bartomeu added, as reported by Goal. 

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Messi, who has been at Barcelona for 20 years having joined the membership on the age of 13, tried to go away this summer season by handing in a change request.

Nonetheless, he lastly decided to see out the final word 12 months of his contract on the Camp Nou after Barca contested a clause in his deal that may have allowed him to walk away with out spending a dime.

The membership’s refusal to acknowledge the break meant his solely decisions have been to find a suitor ready to pay his €700 million ($830 million) launch clause, or take Barcelona to courtroom in what could have proved to be a protracted licensed battle.

Followers have not taken kindly to Bartomeu’s self-congratulation on the matter.

One wrote on Twitter that the president’s “self-importance/idiocy continues to amaze,” whereas one different described it as “peak shamelessness.”

Bartomeu turned president of Barcelona in January 2014.

The membership have cherished a great deal of success all through his tenure, along with 4 La Liga titles and Copas del Rey apiece, along with one UEFA Champions League trophy, nonetheless there was a rising feeling in current occasions that Messi has been papering over some an increasing number of large cracks.

After the sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record cost in 2017, the membership tried to change him with the signings of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, every of whom have struggled on the Camp Nou.

The membership has grow to be an increasing number of a lot much less aggressive throughout the Champions League, too.

In 2018 Barca have been knocked out throughout the quarter-finals by Roma having taken a 4-1 lead throughout the first leg, whereas ultimate 12 months Liverpool overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit in direction of them throughout the semi-final.

In August, Barca have been humiliated 8-2 throughout the single-leg quarter-final by Bayern Munich.

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Due to Barcelona’s rising struggles, membership members collected more than 20,000 signatures in a petition for a vote of no confidence in Bartomeu, which can see his presidency terminated throughout the coming weeks considerably than in subsequent 12 months’s elections.

Throughout the meantime, the 57-year-old is fixed enterprise as conventional.

“The board and I am going to maintain working to verify we have basically essentially the most aggressive crew doable,” he acknowledged. “We’ll converse as soon as extra after validating the votes nonetheless correct now no-one must cease. The membership acquired’t stop and we’ll maintain working, we have loads of factors to sort out.”

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As points stand, Barca look set to lose Messi with out spending a dime on the end of the season, besides they’re going to tie him down on a model new contract throughout the meantime.

Given the fractious relationship between Messi and the powers that be on the Camp Nou that seems extraordinarily unlikely, considerably if Bartomeu manages to survive the vote.

Although Messi isn’t pretty on the height of his powers anymore and can possible be 34 on the end of subsequent season, it’s going to be a damning indictment of Bartomeu’s presidency if he departs the membership – the place he had acknowledged his intention to retire – in such a development.

The Argentinian has plundered an astonishing 634 aims and 285 assists from 731 video video games for Barcelona, serving to ship 33 honors in that time.