Madrid: Lionel Messi’s father sent a letter to the Spanish league on Friday saying his son is free to leave Barcelona immediately without having to pay the 700 million euro (USD 837 million) buyout clause.
The letter comes a few days after the league said Messi was still under contract until June 2021 and could not leave without paying the penalty. In the letter, which was seen by The Associated Press, Jorge Messi disputed that and said the contract allows his son to leave for free at the end of the season, which this year was pushed back by the pandemic.
Messi invoked the clause to leave last week, shortly after the team’s humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Barcelona claims the clause expired on June 10 and told Messi he had to stay until the end of his contract or pay the buyout clause. (AP)
