The transfer saga is over, but the war is ongoing.
Just hours after Lionel Messi's father claimed the €700-million release clause written into the player's Barcelona contract was no longer valid, the Argentine superstar's camp backtracked on his demand to leave the club on Friday.
But Messi didn't concede defeat without offering some choice words for the club's leadership, as he dubbed Barcelona "a disaster" under the presidency of Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Here are some of the best reactions to Messi reversing his decision in a blockbuster interview:
Or, rather, the Bartomeu hierarchy
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) September 4, 2020
Alas, poor Burofax. We hardly knew you.
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) September 4, 2020
Lionel Messi has announced he’s... doing nothing. Wasn’t that fun?
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) September 4, 2020
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink remains the only player with all the letters in 'Lionel Messi' to score in the PL
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) September 4, 2020
City fans when they thought they were signing Messi but then found out they weren’t... pic.twitter.com/ZEM8EUOlqR
— LatvianLou (@LatvianLou) September 4, 2020
The sheer brutality of Messi's statement - certainly the Bartomeu bits - is something, even if you knew how he felt before. Still not sold on the president not being able to survive this. He's got through loads of other moments that he shouldn't have been able to.
— Andy Brassell (@andybrassell) September 4, 2020
Reminds me a bit of Maradona wanting to leave Napoli in 1989-90 and being forced to stay by the club. Angry Diego ended up going on a 4-day bender every week, detoxing in time for Sunday's game and winning the Scudetto. (Don't see Messi doing the 4-day bender part, though.)
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) September 4, 2020
Barcelona: pic.twitter.com/5eDFdzeOyb
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 4, 2020
I'm glad Messi didn't come to the Premier League, only because after his first quiet game some British TV pundits would have become absolutely unbearable.
— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) September 4, 2020
Live look at Bartomeu and the Barca board sizing up their dinner menu for the next seven months pic.twitter.com/Gy6Lw8nWXw
— Dustin Parkes (@dustinparkes) September 4, 2020
