Twitter explodes as Barcelona reportedly confirm that Lionel Messi wants to leave the club

In what is quite possibly one of the biggest bits of news in the world of football in recent memory, Lionel Messi has informed FC Barcelona that he wants to leave the club with immediate effect. Messi, who has been with Barcelona for nearly two decades, communicated this decision to the club via a burofax, according to Associated Press.

According to the report, Barcelona have confirmed to the Associated Press that Lionel Messi has informed the club via a document that he wants to leave the club. The news comes less than 11 days after Barcelona were humiliated in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, losing 8-2 to eventual champions Bayern Munich.

Messi has won six Ballon d'Or awards during his near two-decade association with the club, along with countless other trophies. However, this was the first time since 2008 that Messi and Barcelona ended a season without a trophy.

Barcelona had announced that the squad and the entire structure at the club would undergo a massive overhaul, following the mauling by Bayern Munich, but president Josep Maria Bartomeu had insisted that Messi, along with a couple of other players, was going to stay at the club.

Messi has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Barcelona at the end of any season on a free. Messi wishes to activate this clause to walk away on a free. However, Barcelona insist that the clause expired in June, as it would in a regular season.

But because of the coronavirus pandemic, the season has been extended, and so a case can be made that Messi's clause also holds true even today. We will have to wait and watch how this saga unfolds.

Twitter, as you would expect, went into meltdown after this rather shocking revelation by Barcelona about Messi. Here are the best tweets:

Carles Puyol extends his support to Messi

Respeto y admiración, Leo. Todo mi apoyo, amigo.

— Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) August 25, 2020

(Rough translation: Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend.)

Luis Suarez seconds it

👏👏

— Luis Suarez (@LuisSuarez9) August 25, 2020

Why Messi decided to send a burofax...

For those that don’t get why Messi sent a fax. It’s a gesture making it clear how strained his relationship with Bartomeu and the Barcelona board are. https://t.co/IA0Yn3P1gt

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) August 25, 2020

Barcelona are meanwhile considering taking Messi to court, as they feel his clause expired in June...

Leo Messi wants to activate the clause to leave Barcelona immediatly, as FCB also confirmed. Barcelona position is still so clear: Messi has a 700 million euros release clause, the "free clause" has expired in June. Board reunited to take decisions on next days. 🔴 #FCB #Messi

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 25, 2020

Messi can unilaterally rescind his contract at the end of the season. FIFA says the end of the 2019/2020 season is in August and not June as Bartomeu wants it to be.Messi can rescind his contract.

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) August 25, 2020

As has been said elsewhere, Barcelona are indeed confirming that Lionel Messi has sent them a burofax telling them he wishes to leave

— Richard Martin (@Rich9908) August 25, 2020

BREAKING: Messi wants to leave Barça. He has sent a fax to activate the clause in his contract which would allow him to leave the club. 😳However, Barelona are adamant that this clause expired in June. Barça want to keep Messi until 2021.(per @FabrizioRomano) pic.twitter.com/dLcoJSiFM6

— 433 (@433) August 25, 2020

#FCBarcelona va a llevar a los tribunales a #Messi, se van a mantener firmes en la cláusula de 700 millones.

— Veronica Brunati 💚 (@verobrunati) August 25, 2020

If Messi is to leave @FCBarcelona by activating a release clause, then I hope the club try to help, not hinder him. He’s been fiercely loyal and their greatest ever player. It would be terribly sad if it finished with a fight between the player and the club.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 25, 2020

No more Messi-dependencia...

Wherever Messi goes (got to imagine it's either City or Inter), I hope that they make him a prominent part of an overall system, rather than making him *the entire* system.I just want to see him on a team that plays functional soccer again.

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) August 25, 2020

Can you imagine Messi in any other club's kits?

There’s no active player more synonymous with a single club than Lionel Messi and Barcelona. It is unfathomable to think of him in another kit.

— Matteo Bonetti (@BonettiESPN) August 25, 2020

Where could Messi be heading to?

Think I'd most prefer Messi at a non-Juve club in Italy, as the most realistic transfer, and one that balances out European football.Obviously it'd be great if he went to Forest or Partizan or something.Worst would be joining Xavi at Al-Sadd or some move like that.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) August 25, 2020

Media in Argentina listing 8 clubs who Messi could join if he Leaves Barca. Arsenal included 😂 (no joke) https://t.co/Wpod25hmeH

— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) August 25, 2020

All Messi needs to do is check out Elneny’s finish tonight, that should make his mind up about where he needs to be playing next season.

— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) August 25, 2020

Messi in the Prem? This shit just got real! Come on Pep get on the 📞! #Mcfc

— Darren Huckerby (@hucks6dh6) August 25, 2020

Meanwhile, 2020 is having a laugh...

Lionel Messi telling Barcelona he wants to leave on a free transfer via a fax machine?2020 is off its head!!

— Simon Phillips (@SiPhillipsSport) August 25, 2020

In case any club was wondering if Messi is any good...

Messi has still never scored a goal in the opening two minutes of a match but did almost outscore Sunderland in the 2010s pic.twitter.com/kwgCx04tjF

— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) August 25, 2020

And before you think your club can afford him, here's what he earns...

This is Messi's wage package at Barcelona according to Football Leaks: 60.395.769 euro basic yearly wages (£988.000 a week), £9.100.000 per year on image rights, £13.000.000 a year on possible bonuses plus signing on & loyalty fee (£120.000.000 over 5 years).Quite a load. pic.twitter.com/LOaUoogZuq

— Kristof Terreur 📰🎥 (@HLNinEngeland) August 25, 2020

What will Barcelona do without him?

What’s mad about Barca losing Messi is the number of players they’d need to sign to make this team good again even with Messi. They fall off a cliff without him.

— JB™️ (@gunnerpunner) August 25, 2020

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