Lionel Messi created quite a stir over the last few days, which isn't all that unusual. But this time, the Argentine didn't make headlines with a spectacular goal or a particularly deft dance of the feet. No, Lionel Messi got himself on the news by suggesting the unthinkable: that he wouldn't end his career at Barcelona.
Lionel Messi is happy at Barcelona, so everyone just calm down
But after the Argentine suggested he may not end his career with Barca, it may be impossible to stem the flood of rumors linking him to other clubs.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
When speaking to Argentine newspaper Ole, Messi said, “Although I have always said I would like to stay there forever, sometimes everything does not always go as you want.”
As could have been expected, the news blew up, with outlets reporting everything from “Messi will leave at the end of the season” to “Barcelona will sell Messi by 2016” to “Messi’s on his way to the Premier League -- but only Chelsea will be able to sign him.”
That madness prompted Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to speak about the Messi situation. Although Bartomeu acknowledged the external pressures his star is feeling -- apparently he’s not fond of everyone freaking out when he starts vomiting on the pitch -- the president also made sure to point out that Messi is, in fact, happy at Barcelona, and Barcelona in turn had no problem with Messi.
Of course, the most astute of journalists will read between the lines. Bartomeu may have said Messi is happy, but he never went so far as to say Messi will end his career at Barcelona. The can of worms has been opened. Expect many more stories linking Messi to the few clubs that might be able to afford his €250m release clause.
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