Sports
‘End of an Era’: Messi’s exit from Barcelona prompts emotional tweets from soccer fans
Barcelona: Argentina football player Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract, FC Barcelona announced on Thursday.
Releasing a statement, the La-Liga club stated that “despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of Spanish LaLiga regulations on player registration.”
The statement continued, “As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.”
“FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.”
As soon as the news was shared by the club, it went viral on social media garnering emotional and sentimental reactions from twitter users.
Messi joined Barca's famed La Masia academy in 2000 and made his senior debut aged 16 in 2004.
He has made 778 appearances for the club, scoring 672 goals, including 120 Champions League goals (second behind Cristiano Ronaldo), and a record 474 La Liga goals.
He has been awarded the European Golden Shoe award for the continent's top scorer a record six times.