Lionel Messi’s father and representative Jorge has written to the Spanish league to reiterate that he is not obliged to pay his €700 million buyout clause in order to leave Barcelona.

The league immediately replied by reiterating their position, describing Messi Sr’s claims of lacking context and going against the wording of the contract.

Messi's father dismisses the league's conclusion.

“This indemnity will not apply when the player’s decision to unilaterally rescind the contract is effective from the end of the 2019-2020 season.”

The letter does not, though, announce that Leo Messi will depart, nor repeat that he remains determined to do so.

“As the representative of professional football player Lionel Andres Messi and in response to the statement relating to the player’s contractual situation published by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional on August 30, 2020, Jorge Horacio Messi states that, quite apart from your obvious interest given the role that said institution [La Liga] has in the defence of its associates (the football clubs):

“First, we do not know what contract you have analysed and one what grounds you conclude that there is a recission clause applicable in the case of him deciding to unilaterally end his contract from the end of the 2019-20 season.

“Second, that doing so [reaching that conclusion] is founded upon a clear error on your part. As clause 8.2.3.6 of the contract signed between the club and the player explicitly says: “This indemnity will not apply when the player’s decision to unilaterally rescind the contract is effective from the end of the 2019-2020 season.” [Signed] Jorge H. Messi.”