Lionel Messi to leave FC Barcelona

Barcelona [Spain], August 6 (ANI): In what comes as one of the biggest news in the football world, Lionel Messi will be leaving FC Barcelona. As per the club, the reason behind the exit is the financial and structural obstacles.
Despite Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract on Thursday, this cannot happen because of Spanish LaLiga regulations on player registration as per the club statement.
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, the statement further said.
"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," it said as per fcbarcelona.com.
Earlier it was reported Messi was all set to sign a new five-year contract with Spanish club Barcelona. Along with signing a new deal, Messi woulf also be taking a 50 per cent wage cut, Goal.com had reported.
The report had said Messi agreed to take a cut on his yearly earnings in order to re-sign for Barcelona, and the club would make a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona after signing on with the club in 2004. His contract expired in June this year, but he is was set to sign a new deal with the Catalan side.
The striker earned EUR550 million (£468m/$650m) over the course of his last five-year contract at Camp Nou, which equates to around EUR75m (£64m/$89m) per season. (ANI)