Protesting supporters of Barcelona have broken past security and entered the grounds of the Camp Nou to call for the resignation of president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Groups of supporters of the Blaugrana had been gathering outside the club’s home in the Catalan capital since Tuesday after news broke that Messi is leaving Barcelona this summer.
OJO Un grupo de aficionados entran en grupo al Camp Nou. El personal de seguridad no puede pararles. Van a por Bartomeu que está dentro. TENSIÓN EN EL CAMP NOU. Han tenido que intervenir los Mossos d’Esquadra #fcb #fcblive pic.twitter.com/dbilPntNcR
— David Ibáñez (@DavidIbanez5) August 26, 2020
The besieged club supremo is serving his final term of presidency and has confirmed elections for March 2021, but supporters believe the time is now for him to exit the club.
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.
