Thread by @bghayward

Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club this summer. But how did it come to this? A thread…

#MessiLeavingBarça #FCB

Messi has been frustrated at Barça for some time. The club’s record in Champions League since winning the treble in 2014-15 has not been good enough and after winning the competition three times in seven seasons, FCB have not won it since. #MessiLeavingBarça

Treble was won largely thanks to Messi, Suarez & Neymar, described by Luis Enrique as ‘best trident in football history’.

Xavi, Iniesta & Dani Alves were also still at Barça.

Xavi left in 2015, Alves 2016, Neymar 2017, Iniesta 2018. None properly replaced.

Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Messi told the Camp Nou crowd, in reference to the Champions League, that he and his team-mates would do “everything possible to bring back that beautiful trophy”.

Instead, Barça collapsed at Anfield...

The season ended in huge disappointment with that 4-0 loss to Liverpool and Barça then went down to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.

There was plenty of anger among fans, but Barça (and Messi) had been just three games from winning a treble…

#MessiSeVa

President Josep Maria Bartomeu kept faith in coach Ernesto Valverde and Messi started the 2019-20 season injured.

The Argentine had wanted the club to bring back Neymar, but Barça bought Antoine Griezmann instead and the French forward struggled to adapt.

In signing Griezmann, Coutinho (loaned to Bayern in 2019-20) & Dembélé (sidelined for most of season), Barça spent more than €350m on replacing Neymar.

Meanwhile, Messi admitted he didn't know if FCB had done all they could to bring back the Brazilian...

In September, Messi told Sport: "I want to keep winning things with the club. I want to keep achieving important things. For me, the clause doesn't mean anything. Money neither. I'm moved by other things. The most important thing for me is a winning project."

In January, Valverde was sacked after a 3-2 loss to Atlético Madrid in the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.

Many fans were happy to see him dismissed, but Barcelona had been top of LaLiga at the time and were through to the last 16 of the CL as group winners.

The players liked Valverde and were unhappy at how situation was handled as it emerged Barça were in talks with Xavi. He said 'no' and other targets (Pochettino, Koeman) also declined, so Bartomeu turned to the out-of-work Quique Setién. #MessiLeavingBarça

Setién arrived amid talk of Cruyff's philosophy and a return to 'Barça DNA' after a more pragmatic approach under Valverde, but QS couldn't improve results or performances as FCB failed to win a trophy for first time since 2007-08...

https://twitter.com/bghayward/status/1294655843456167936

In February, Messi hit out at Abidal after he claimed some players hadn't been training properly.

“Players [are responsible] for what happens on the pitch. The heads of the sports department have to take their responsibilities too," LM wrote on Instagram.

After a depleted Barça drew 1-1 at Napoli, Sergio Busquets gave a brutal assessment of the club's summer structuring. "The squad is short," he said. "Unfortunately, it was planned that way."

FCB had just 13 first-team players available for Napoli return...

Soon after that came a much bigger scandal after it was reported that Barça had been paying a social media firm to protect Bartomeu's reputation online and attack others, including Messi.

"We'll have to see whether it's true or not," the Argentine said.

In March, Messi and his team-mates released a statement revealing they had agreed to a 70% reduction of their wages due to Covid-19 and took a dig at the club after reports in the media, leaked from the board, that they had been unwilling to do so.

Twice during lockdown, Messi said Barça were not good enough to win Champions League, claiming that they needed significant improvement.

Setién said he disagreed and claimed that Barça could win it “if we play like we did against Villarreal”…

#MessiSeVa

But Messi was right. Barça’s problems were exposed in the humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich and Leo has not spoken since in public.

Bartomeu promised changes, but brought elections forward only by a few months to March.

Setién was replaced by Koeman.

Messi then thought to be furious as details of meeting with Koeman were leaked. RK reportedly told him there would be end to his ‘privileges’ at Barça. A short phone call informing Luis Suárez that he has no future at FCB also understood to have angered Leo.

Meanwhile, Manchester City now favourites to sign Messi. #MCFC project had been tailored from very start to attract Pep as coach and, if possible, Leo as star player. Ironically, it was based on Barça model, incorporating Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain...

#MCFC today, despite the club's inability to claim the Champions League and missing out on the Premier League in 2019-20, is exactly the type of clear strategy for success and "winning project" Messi is seeking in the twilight of his career... #MessiSeVa

At Barça, Messi's calls for change and warnings were ignored. Even if Bartomeu leaves (he has no intention to and needs to balance books before elections take place), the 2020-21 campaign is likely to be a transitional season at Camp Nou. Leo has had enough.

Through all this, Messi has stayed silent. As club captain, he should have spoken after Bayern, but clearly now feels that is futile.

If he leaves this summer, after an 8-2 loss and with no fans in stadium, it will be the saddest of goodbyes...

#MessiSeVa