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Lionel Messi's plan to leave "Barcelona" ahead of time without a transfer fee - a serious blow. The Spanish Football League announced that the footballer's contract with the club is considered valid, even though he himself expressed a desire to terminate it on Tuesday, lrytas.lt writes. This means that the 33-year-old Argentinean could face legal action if he continues to not show up at the "Barcelona" club, which will begin preseason training next week. Messi did not attend the coronavirus testing on Sunday and implied that he no longer considers himself a player of the club. However, the statement from the Spanish "La Liga" could change the situation. "Messi's contract remains valid," said the announcement from the Spanish league. The contract allows for its termination, but this is regulated by special rules, and "La Liga" will not issue a release letter until someone pays the €700 million buyout clause stipulated in the contract. This could mean that Messi is facing a long dispute with "Barcelona" and "La Liga", which will be examined by FIFA. If the footballer fails to prove his case, he will have to play within "Barcelona" until the end of the contract on June 30, 2021. The fact that "La Liga" supports the club is not surprising, as it is led by Javier Tebas, who has repeatedly criticized "Manchester City's" attempts to buy Messi.
