The biggest nightmare of every single Barcelona fan has come true today. Lionel Messi has told Josep Maria Bartomeu andthe club that he wants to leave this summer and invoked the release clause on his contract that allows him to leave at the end of the season.
And, even though the team is reportedly about to engage in legal actions vs. the Argentinean superstar, it seems like thereās just nothing they can do to overturn the turmoil in the streets of Barcelona, more specifically, around Camp Nou.
Bartomeu has never been exactly popular among the teamās supporters but heās reached an all-time low today, as people from all over the world took it to social media to make āBartomeu Resignā a Trending Topic.
Barcelona Fans Demand Bartomeuās Resignation Outside Of Camp Nou
Moreover, those in the city took it to themselves to make their voices heard, protesting outside of Camp Nou and all around town demanding Bartomeu to finally step down after years of questionable decisions.
Things escalated to the point where some rumors claim that the rest of the team board actually asked Bartomeu to resign if that was enough to convince Messi to stay with the team, although his decision is believed to be final.
Lionel Messi sits at the top of most Barcelona and La Liga-related records. Heās become an icon to the people and is one of the most beloved members among the Catalan community, so this is definitely a major blow to the identity and culture of the organization.
Lionel Messiās Departure Was A Time Bomb
Bartomeu sacked Ernesto Valverde to appoint unproven Quique SetiĆ©n as the teamās new manager, just to also let him go after Bayern Munich thrashed them 8-2 in the UEFA Champions League.
The teamās transfer policy has also been questionable as of late, spending a lot of money on players that have been unable to make an impact and get them over the hump, such as Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, and even Antoine Griezmann.
Even if Lionel Messi decides to stay (or is forced to fulfill the rest of his contract until 2021), it just seems like this is the end of the line for Bartomeu. Regardless of what he does from here, heās just never going to be on the peopleās good side.
