Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona due to Spanish championship restrictions

Lionel Messi will not sign a new contract with FC Barcelona. About it reported on the website of the Catalan team.

“In this situation, Messi should not remain at FC Barcelona. Both sides deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will not come true in the end, ”the club said in a statement.

Messi leaves Berselona despite the fact that the player and the club have reached an agreement and are about to sign a new contract. However, this cannot happen due to the financial and structural constraints approved by the Spanish Championship regulations.

The reason for this situation is the financial problems of Barcelona and the strictness of the La Liga rules. The tough financial regulation of the championship suggests that the amount of spending should depend on the club’s earnings. The Catalans fail to comply with the regulations, so the club cannot register new contracts. So, in the 2019/2020 season, Barcelona spent 671 million euros on salaries, this season the club cannot spend more than 383 million euros.

Barcelona thanked Messi for his “contribution to the development of the club”. A longtime captain, Messi has played for the club throughout his career since 2003. Prior to that, he played for the Barcelona youth team. He is now a free agent.