Everyone had long been sensing the growing acrimony in the relations between Lionel Messi and Barcelona which has also been proved on many occasions in the past, especially after Messi has been out for his injuries and Neymar is ready to take him over as the lead striker in the team. Matter heated up when Messi’s agent asked for a new contract for the Argentinean great. Then, Barca vice-president Javier Faus answered media saying he does not any reason they should renew Messi contract every six month. Though, Messi did not retaliate that time, but now, water seems to be above the neck hence 26-year-old forward responded to the vice president and said, he is just a businessman who knows nothing about football. His strategy could fuel his growing tensions with the club, especially after his father’s name is being dragged into money laundry scam which senior Messi has always been denying right from the beginning.
However, Messi denied of asking for any contract renewal but wasted no time in criticizing Faus and his team on the top. He said, “Mr. Faus is someone who knows nothing about football, and wants to run Barca like it was a business, which it is no. Barca is the best team in the world, and deserves to be represented by the best directors. And I remind him that neither I nor anyone from my camp have asked for a new contract — and he knows that well.”
Again, he defended his father as well and rubbishes media who is linking his family to criminal activities. Messi condemns everyone who seems to be after him after this scandal, he added, “I am very sorry about what they are saying, not just about me but about people I love like my papa and players who are friends. What we do in these games is 100 percent for charity. I am deeply united with my dad and my family, in the personal and the professional. I concentrate on playing football, and he concentrates on my off-field interests, and selecting the best professionals to help us.”
This is probably be the first time in recent time Messi is having some kind of differences with Blaugrana and things are happening as they were predicted by experts when Neymar was signed by La Liga champions. In fact, many advised him to make a shift now but thanks to his legal cases, he got lots of media attention not for his game but for his personal conducts. No one knows how Barca management would react to this, but in any case, this is just the beginning of a seism in the making.