Photo: sbonsi / Shutterstock.com
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Lionel Messi (33) will not renew his contract and will leave FC Barcelona in the summer. At least that is what presidential candidate Agusti Benedito thinks.
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“If Messi stayed it would be the best news for the club, but I’m not very optimistic,” Benedito said in an interview with the sports network ESPN. “The most likely outcome is that he will leave us in the middle of the year.”
Messi’s working paper with the Catalans expires on June 30, 2021 after 21 years. He wanted to leave Barça last summer, but waived a lawsuit after ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to release him.
Messi looked dissatisfied in the first few weeks of the season, but La Pulga flourished recently. Especially in the interplay with super talent Pedri (18), the Argentinian is enjoying playing again.
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Photo: sbonsi / Shutterstock.com
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In addition, the six-time world footballer said in an interview that he has not yet decided whether he wants to leave Barça at the end of the season or extend his contract.
According to Benedito, this would have been a good way to swear allegiance to Barcelona: “I would have liked to have seen him say in his interview that he wanted to stay at the club but he didn’t and now we have to wait and see. what is happening.”
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The presidential candidate continued: “The truth is that I am pessimistic. In August he wanted to leave the club after 20 years. One must not forget that.”
Barça will elect a new president on January 24th. In addition to Benedito, there are eight other contenders. The favorites are ex-boss Joan Laporta and Victor Font.
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