The Barcelona legend will depart Camp Nou this summer
after the Spanish champions' greatest rivals activated
his €250 million buy-out clause
EXCLUSIVE
Lionel Messi has left Barcelona in turmoil by agreeing to
join Real Madrid at the end of the season in a record-
breaking five-year deal that will be worth around half a
billion euros.
The Argentine forward, winner of five Ballon d'Or awards
and considered one of the greatest players of all time,
will cost Madrid €250m to buy and approximately the
same again in agent fees, commissions and wages.
The move was announced directly before Saturday's
Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu in what appears to
have been a deliberate move to destabilise the Liga
leaders.
Messi, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old, explained
that money was the only factor driving his move.
"With Financial Fair Play, Barcelona could not give me
what I wanted and deserved," the 28-year-old said at
the pre-match press conference.
"I recommended they fund my contract by selling the
Camp Nou, but for some reason they valued the club
more than me.
"When I learned this, I was heartbroken and our
relationship was finished.
"A man of my status should have a 2000-metre long
mega-yacht, staffed and powered at all times. Like
[Roman] Abramovich. The purchase and operating costs
alone demand that I take home €50m per year after tax.
Minimum. Is that too much to ask?"
However, Goal correspondent Garry McGarry obtained
exclusive information hinting at other reasons for the
move.
"Gerard Pique kept beating Messi at Fifa," McGarry
explained in a series of poorly-worded tweets. "Messi
hates to lose and became angered when the club
refused to replace Pique's left hand with a pirate's hook.
"That was it for the ‘little dictator’, and he has done the
unthinkable."
Sources in Madrid have indicated that Messi has also
been offered the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar,
"when we get it back after Britain leaves the EU",
information which was not confirmed or denied by the
Messi camp.
In an official statement released by Real Madrid,
Cristiano Ronaldo said he was delighted to welcome
Messi aboard and that he was "looking forward to
receiving his support from the wing".
Barcelona, meanwhile, continue to be beset by financial
difficulties but are expected to replace Messi with
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy, who will be mentored by
Uruguay star Luis Suarez.
Happy April 1st!
