Lionel Messi News: The Argentine star recently had a very public spat with Eric Abidal after the latter criticised the performance of the players.
Barcelona are currently in the middle of a huge crisis with club icon with Lionel Messi publicly calling out Sporting Director Eric Abidal on social media. Abidal had previously said in an interview that some of the players were not working a lot.
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In an interview with the Catalan newspaper Sport on Tuesday, Abidal said that “lots of players were not satisfied [with Valverde] and nor did they work a lot”, adding: “There was also an issue of internal communication. The relationship manager-dressing room has always been good but there are things, as a former player, I can smell. I told the club what I thought and that [I thought] a decision had to be made.”
This has apparently angered Lionel Messi who publicly expressed his displeasure with his former teammate.
“Honestly, I don’t like doing these things but I think that everyone has to be responsible for his acts and take responsibility for their own decisions,” Messi wrote.
“The players [are responsible for] what happens on the pitch, and we have been the first to recognise when we were not good. The people in the sporting directorate should also assume their responsibility and above all take ownership of the decisions they make.
“Finally, I think that when players are talked about, names should be given because, if not, we are all being dirtied and it feeds comments that are made and are not true.”
Lionel Messi and his interesting contract clause
The current feud between Messi and Abidal could be a frightening situation for the higher ups at Camp Nou. Messi has a contract with the club until the summer of 2021. However, a clause in his contract allows him to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the current season; should he wish to.
This isn’t out of the ordinary for Barcelona. They have previously offered a few of their ex players the same luxury. Speaking on the clause last year, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Barca TV:
“Messi signed until 2021. It was agreed that at the end of the penultimate season he is at liberty to leave for free.
“He has earned that freedom to decide his future, but he is very Cule and I am calm. Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol had the same clause.
“We couldn’t give Messi a different clause, but I repeat, I am in no doubt he will stay for many years.”
Following the situation at the club right now however, it seems that Bartomeu isn’t as confident of Messi sticking around anymore as he has now called an emergency meeting with Eric Abidal according to RAC1. According to Sky Sports, Bartomeu now intends to speak to the Frenchman about his future in the role.
While sacking Abidal may not solve all their problems, losing Lionel Messi is an issue the club will like to deal with swiftly.
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