- P├йrez on Wednesday released a statement denying any connection with MessiтАЩs departure after being linked to it by a former Barcelona official who resigned because of the clubтАЩs failure to keep the star player.
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PUBLISHED ON AUG 11, 2021 07:59 PM IST
Real Madrid president Florentino P├йrez denied having played a role in Lionel MessiтАЩs departure from Barcelona.
P├йrez on Wednesday released a statement denying any connection with MessiтАЩs departure after being linked to it by a former Barcelona official who resigned because of the clubтАЩs failure to keep the star player.
P├йrez asked Jaume Llopis to issue a retraction for saying that P├йrez was a friend of Barcelona CEO Ferr├бn Reverter and convinced him not to keep Messi.
Barcelona is struggling financially and couldnтАЩt fit MessiтАЩs new contract into the Spanish leagueтАЩs financial fair-play regulations. Messi left after 17 seasons and signed with Paris Saint-Germain.
P├йrez said тАЬit is completely falseтАЭ that he has been a longtime friend of Reverter. He said he only met him twice, including last week after тАЬthe official communication on Messi had already taken place.тАЭ
Llopis resigned Sunday saying he was disappointed with Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who would тАЬgo down in history as the president who fired Messi.тАЭ
Messi’s father, who is also his agent, recently told reporters that Barcelona was responsible for Messi’s departure. The player had said he did everything he could to try to continue with the club, including accepting a salary reduction of 50%.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
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