Lionel Messi’s insistence on a get-out clause in case Catalan secession means he can’t compete in major-league sport is the latest symbolic twist to emerge from the region’s independence push
The 30-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or victor penned a new five-year deal in November, which saw him become the world's highest paid footballer, earning £500,000 a week, but it was his new release clause that caught the eye.
Though the league leaders do not discuss contracts due to confidentiality, El Mundo reports that the Argentine will only continue to play in a Spain-independent Barcelona if the Catalans continue to play in a top European league.
It took the club almost six months to agree to a potential deal with Lionel Messi and with that a brand new four-year contract worth 500-a-week.
The newspaper said that leaving La Liga would have the same impact on the rest of the Barcelona squad, whether they have specific clauses or not, because it would represent a substantial change to the circumstances under which they signed their contracts.
The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has repeatedly said Barcelona would be booted out of the Spanish league along with all other Catalan clubs in the event of independence, as only teams from Spain and Andorra are legally entitled to compete in the Spanish leagues.
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But earlier this season, Guardiola insisted that City had little chance of signing the 30-year-old.
He had previously suggested the club could look to play elsewhere in the future but speaking at the club's AGM he said: "You can be sure that this board will always act in the club's defence", said Bartomeu.
Barcelona went 2-0 up in the thirty-eighth minute when Luis Suarez produced a stunning finish.
Messi's latest contract was signed on 25 November, before that vote but after an autumn referendum on independence that authorities in Madrid declared illegal.
The win makes it 26 matches in all competitions since Barcelona were last beaten, things are looking good under the tenure of Ernesto Valverde.
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