Lionel Messi has spoken out for the first time to confirm that he had decided to leave Barcelona: “The cycle is over.”
The quotes have been reported from Diario Sport journalist Albert Roge, citing Argentine outlet La Nacion, on Wednesday after news broke that Messi is leaving Barcelona this summer, with fans taking their frustrations out on the president.
⚠️🔵🔴 Messi: “Tomé la decisión con Antonela de irme del Barca. Me duele en el alma, pero ya está. Se cumplió el ciclo” (vía @LANACION) #fcblive pic.twitter.com/DHRD5IxpHm
— Albert Rogé (@albert_roge) August 26, 2020
“I have taken the decision with Antonela (Messi’s wife) to leave Barca,” Messi is quoted as saying.
“It hurts my soul, but that’s it. The cycle is over.”
It must be remembered that whilst official sources are being quoted by journalists in Argentina and Catalonia, these quotes are yet to be placed on the record or officially recorded.
Indeed, football journalist Guillem Balague has now explained that he believes the quotes come from a fake audio.
Esto, @LANACION y @crgrosso, es un gran FAKE!!!!
Ese audio es de un imitador, hombre 🤣🤣🤣
FAKE audio of Messi talking about City doing the rounds https://t.co/J7vxr44HNu
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 26, 2020
It confirms the multiple reports across Spanish and Argentinean media which claimed that Messi is leaving Barcelona and will attempt to activate a clause in his deal which allows him to break his contract.
Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards during his spell at the Camp Nou, where he has spent the entirety of his professional career and firmly established himself as one of the greatest footballers ever to play the sport.
The 33-year-old has a clause in his deal allowing him to leave at the end of any season, and whilst it was thought that deadline passed in June, Marca say his camp believe that it has been extended in line with the prolonged 2019/20 season.
Messi has scored a scarcely believable 634 goals in 731 official appearances for Barcelona, but his time at the club now appears to be up and he is hopeful of becoming a free agent.