Lionel Messi Tells Barcelona He's Leaving

Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player in soccer history, has informed Barcelona that he intends to leave the club with immediate effect, and to do so by activating a clause in his contract that would mean the team where he has spent his entire career would not receive a cent in compensation.\r\n\r\nMessi, 33, has spent the days since Barcelona's humiliation by Bayern Munich, in the Champions League quarterfinals just over a week ago, watching his club descend into yet another bout of internal turmoil. Quique Setién, the manager, and the sporting director, Eric Abidal, both departed, and Ronald Koeman, a former Barcelona player, was appointed as coach.\r\n\r\nAmong his first acts was to tell several senior players — Samuel Umtiti, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Messi's neighbor and close friend, Luis Suárez — that their services were no longer required. Suárez was reportedly told in a brief telephone conversation that he was free to find a new club.\r\n\r\nKoeman also spoke with Messi, who at that point had stopped short of committing his future to the club. News reports in Spain on Tuesday night suggested that Koeman had warned Messi that he would no longer receive special treatment — a threat, it was suggested, that made up the Argentine's mind.