The former captain of FC Barcelona Carles Puyol has shown his support for Lionel Messi‘s decision to leave the Spanish club this summer. The current teammate of Messi at the club, Luis Suarez, also showed his own solidarity with the Argentine football icon.
Prior to this summer transfer window, there have been speculations that Messi who has been in Barcelona since he was 17-year-old could leave the club before his current contract expires in June 2021. The speculation gained huge momentum after Bayern Munich knocked out Barcelona from the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League via a humiliating 8-2 defeat.
On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, reports went viral that Lionel Messi has officially submitted his transfer request to FC Barcelona. He intends to trigger the clause in his 2017 contract which says he can walk away as a free agent at the end of any season. However, the club came out to stressed that the clause has expired since 10 June 2020.
Yet, rival clubs across Europe are reportedly ready to welcome the Argentine icon and it is not likely that such interest will stop springing up any time soon. For instance, Messi has reportedly contacted Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and other viral reports claim Manchester United are interested in Messi while Paris Saint Germain manager Thomas Tuchel had said the Argentine will always be welcomed at the club.
In the light of all these developments, 42-year-old former Spain international and a legend of Barcelona, Puyol, tweeted on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, that he respect and admire the 6 times Ballon d’Or winner.
“Respect and admiration Leo. All my support man”, Puyol tweeted in Spanish on Tuesday. Hours after the 42-year-old former Spain international tweeted this statement, Uruguayan football icon, Luis Suarez, commented with a clapping emoji to show his approval.
👏👏
— Luis Suarez (@LuisSuarez9) August 25, 2020
Carles Puyol and his honors with Messi
Puyol spent the whole of his football career at Barcelona between 1999 and 2014. He was one of the father figures Lionel Messi had when he joined the senior team in 2004.
The defender, Messi, and other Barcelona’s football greats won 6 La Liga, one Copa del Rey, four Supercopa, three UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. All these were the honors Puyol enjoyed in his 15 years professional football career and were between 2004 and 2014 when Messi had already started reigning.
This is why it is believed that though Barcelona assisted Messi to have a healthy childhood and gave him a platform to shine, Messi has done well enough to be allowed to try something new with his football career which is already in the tail end.
On the other hand, Suarez who has shown support for Messi over the battle between the Argentine and the Spanish club is not also sure of staying at the club. The club had told him that he should look for another club this summer despite the fact that he still has one season on his current contract with the club.
The latest speculations are saying that Barcelona are already considering signing Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus as the direct replacement for the 33-year-old Uruguay international who has been at the club since 2014.
