Barcelona stronger legally amid Messi contract conflict, suggests Spanish lawyer

Spanish giants Barcelona and club captain Lionel Messi are likely to lock horns in a legal battle revolving around the issue of his contract. The Argentine forward has expressed his desire to bring an end to his time at Barcelona, hinting that he wants to trigger the special clause in his contract that allows him to leave for free. As the Messi contract crisis deepens, a Spanish sports lawyer insists that Barcelona hold the key to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. 

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Messi burofax leads to unease in Barcelona 

Messi sent a burofax, a service provided by Spain's postal service to send important documents. The service also confirmed that the document has been delivered to the relevant party. It is usually used to send legal documents to prove that the recipient received it, while also revealing the content. The Messi burofax report has since created an atmosphere of unease in Barcelona, with fans protesting against club president Josep Bartomeu. 

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Barcelona hold the keys in Messi contract saga

While speaking to Reuters, sports and business lawyer Santiago Nebot claimed that Barcelona are in a better position legally in the Messi contract saga, although the player has revealed the club's weakness, implying the special exit clause that according to Barcelona, ended on June 10. Messi will stand helpless if Barcelona turn down his request of a free transfer from the Camp Nou, added Nebot. 

However, Nebot maintains that he hasn't read the Messi contract and his assessment is completely based on media reports. The lawyer also asserted that Messi can urge the club to reset the modalities of the deadline of the special clause citing the COVID-19 crisis that led to the unusual extension of the season beyond its routine deadline. 

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Barcelona hopeful of Messi staying 

On Wednesday, Barcelona technical secretary Ramon Planes said he hopes the Messi transfer talks end soon, insisting that the club hopes to build a new winning cycle around the best player in the world. He also revealed that the club is working internally to convince the 33-year-old Argentina international to continue his career in Catalonia. Nebot agrees with the Barcelona technical secretary's claims. He insists that the club should negotiate and convince Messi to continue for a season more and build a team that could ensure victories throughout the season. 

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Image courtesy: Leo Messi Instagram