Barcelona and Lionel Messi: five years on from the shock departure that still divides the club

Five years after Barcelona announced that Lionel Messi would leave the club, the circumstances surrounding the decision remain unclear, while the relationship between the Argentina forward and president Joan Laporta has yet to be fully repaired.

The news that shook football was delivered by Barcelona on Wednesday in 2021, when the club confirmed that Messi would not continue at Camp Nou despite an agreement having been reached in principle between the two parties.

In a three-paragraph statement, Barcelona said: “Despite having reached an agreement between the club and Lionel Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of economic and structural obstacles (according to the Spanish league regulations).”

The club added: “Given this situation, Lionel Messi will not remain at Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club cannot ultimately be fulfilled.”

Barcelona ended its statement by thanking “the greatest player in history for everything he has given us”, while wishing him success in his future personal and professional endeavours.

The announcement brought an abrupt end to Messi’s Barcelona career and separated the club from its most prominent player, as well as its record holder for goals and trophies.

Messi had spent the majority of his career with Barcelona, becoming the defining figure of a generation at the club. His departure, announced after the two sides had reportedly reached an agreement in principle, immediately raised questions over whether the financial and regulatory barriers cited by Barcelona were the full explanation.

Relationship with Laporta remains unresolved

Spanish newspaper AS wrote: “To this day, the reasons for his departure remain unclear… But it is clear that Messi still loves Barcelona, as shown by his statements whenever he has the opportunity, including his nighttime visit to Camp Nou during the renovation period and his tears when he left. However, a disagreement arose between him and the club president, Joan Laporta.”

According to the report, attempts to reconcile the two sides have produced no outcome beyond promises that Messi will eventually receive a statue and a testimonial match.

Those proposals have not settled the wider dispute, with the relationship between the former Barcelona captain and Laporta continuing to attract attention five years after the announcement.

Messi’s affection for the club has remained evident in his public comments and actions, despite the manner of his exit. His visit to Camp Nou at night during the stadium’s renovation work, and the emotion he showed when leaving Barcelona, have been cited as signs that the split did not erase his connection with the club.

For Laporta, however, the decision did not prove damaging at the ballot box. During the five years since Messi’s departure, he has won three La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and one domestic cup with Barcelona.

The trophies have strengthened Laporta’s position at the club, but they have not removed the sense that the circumstances of Messi’s departure and the disagreement that followed remain an unresolved chapter in Barcelona’s recent history.