Lionel Messi was close to leaving Barcelona in 2014 and 2016, two occasions in which a bad season and tax issues made him imagine life beyond the Camp Nou, but he eventually decided to stay.

Much like when he announced his retirement from international duty with Argentina in 2016, he changed his mind.

That is what is giving the Barcelona board led by Josep Maria Bartomeu hope, believing that the player may still remain at the club despite the burofax sent on Tuesday.

In theory, Messi will train and undergo tests ahead of the new season and the club are adamant that they have time to turn the situation around.

For now, we take a look at the previous occasions when Messi felt like leaving and then backtracked.

2014: The year of Tata

Tata Martino was in charge in 2013/14 after replacing the unwell Tito Vilanova and it was a bad season for Messi.

Continual injuries, erratic form from the team, a defeat to a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, a loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals and seeing Atleti win LaLiga Santander at the Camp Nou was hard to take.

Weeks before the end of the season, Messi visited the late Vilanova in hospital and floated the idea of leaving, but his former coach convinced him to stay.

"It was a time when Tito was at a delicate point and it's true that at that time Leo wasn't clear on staying," recalled Vilanova's assistant Jordi Roura in 2019.

"They met and, although I wasn't there, I know they were talking for hours.

"From there, he changed his mind and saw some things more clearly.

"I don't know what they spoke about, but Messi decided to stay and we hope he does for many years."

2016: Tax troubles

In September 2015, tax authorities asked judges to investigate Messi for fiscal crimes and this caused an earthquake in Spain, which Messi felt was a persecution of him.

"At that time I thought about leaving, not because I wanted to leave Barcelona but because I thought about leaving Spain," Messi admitted to RAC1 last year.

"I felt badly treated and I didn't want to be here any longer.

"I had the door open to many teams, even if there were no official offers because they all knew I wanted to stay at Barcelona.

"In that case, the situation went beyond what I felt for my home.

"It was a personal issue."

Playing alongside friends Luis Suarez and Neymar, settled in Castelldefels and at the club and winning a double that season, he decided not to leave despite being handed a suspended prison sentence and fine.

2016: Goodbye to Argentina

Losing the 2016 Copa America final against Chile on penalties was the final straw for Messi, who exploded in the mixed zone after the match.

"In the dressing room I thought that my time with the national team has finished, it's not for me and that's how I feel right now," he said at the time.

"We don't settle for getting to the final and not winning it.

"I tried a lot to be a champion with Argentina, but it didn't happen, I couldn't achieve it."

In September, just months later, he returned to the scene.

"When I spoke with [coach Edgardo] Bauza and the guys, I couldn't not come back," he said.

"I believe in this group.

"We have been doing things very well despite the lost finals.

"At the time, we were very down.

"It was a very hard blow, another one, but afterwards I recovered."

Now, Barcelona fans will be hoping there is a fourth U-turn from their hero.

Source: https://amp.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2020/08/27/5f46dbe122601d3e0c8b45f5.html

It's time for Messi to leave, this Barcelona has no clear vision, for years their transfers have been rubbish. Bartomeu should have resigned and allow people with ideas to come and run the club. As a madrid fan, part of me hopes Barcelona don't come out of this slump at least for a few more years. But Messi can't afford to spend the rest of his career in this mess.


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Messi must leave...

I don dey imagine him playing in City shirt and giving EPL defenders headache


.

He should remain there,barça is messi and messi is barça

dont forget to check my signature

NovaTheHerald:
He should remain there,barça is messi and messi is barça


dont forget to check my signature

Messi who can't even win a tea cup for Argentina and prefers fake retirements and now forgets fake promises of bringing UCL back to Camp Nou

Team CR7 gather here

obembet:


Messi who can't even win a tea cup for Argentina and prefers fake retirements and now forgets fake promises of bringing UCL back to Camp Nou

Lalasticlala

a Ronaldo fan, I presume? You can't blame Messi for the failings of Argentina and Barcelona

obembet:


Messi who can't even win a tea cup for Argentina and prefers fake retirements and now forgets fake promises of bringing UCL back to Camp Nou

Team CR7 gather here

Lalasticlala

Some of you just think like you have brain deficiency, how can you troll someone that won ballon dor 6 times.it just has stupidity written all over it

Lemme see the clueless Mod who's gon' move this bullshit to homepage.

yes, they maybe a fourth but what am seeing is more about politics, messi knew his resignation would destabilize barca and make the current president resigns..
messi that i know would like to stay in barca, maybe he is finally bored and wants to test england bt i still believe that if the president resigns anytime from now, it would be a huge factor in deciding this world biggest transfer saga..
if he is tired of barca, he can go to wherever he is happy with, its better for barca to allow him go than to force him to stay, messi have done soo much for barca and he deserve to be happy..

theoneJabulani:
It's time for Messi to leave, this Barcelona has no clear vision, for years their transfers have been rubbish. Bartomeu should have resigned and allow people with ideas to come and run the club. As a madrid fan, part of me hopes Barcelona don't come out of this slump at least for a few more years. But Messi can't afford to spend the rest of his career in this mess.

stopped reading when i saw that you are a madrid fan, I think its better you face your club and i dnt see how madrid would wish well for barca..
perez have been ur president for years, Even when he got soo many transfers wrong, you didnt say anything concerning rhe fact that he is running the club like a mafia boss being among the few president without a sporting director like other football clubs and making any huge signings that would make him happy rather than the club and thats why they are soo many flops in the current madrid like jovic, harzard, danilo etc and i hear they are going for mbappe or haaland, i jus pity them..
face ur club n leave the biggest player in spain alone, i know you would be happy if he goes to city because you think la liga would be more easier for you when messi departs..

obembet:


Messi who can't even win a tea cup for Argentina and prefers fake retirements and now forgets fake promises of bringing UCL back to Camp Nou

Team CR7 gather here

Lalasticlala

always knew you are a cr7 fan bt the way u talk atimes do amaze me bt i do see it as a joke because you are a female..
cr7 female fans to me do love him based on his looks and appearance rather than his football itself...
the same messi you are talking abt have won 6 ballon d or awards MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLAYER DEAD OR ALIVE..

paulolee:

stopper reading when i saw that you are a madrid fan, I think its better you face your club and i dnt see how madrid would wish well for barca..
perez have been ur president for years, Even when he got soo many transfers wrong, you didnt say anything concerning rhe fact that he is running the club like a mafia boss being among the few president without a sporting director like other football clubs and making any huge signings that would make him happy rather than the club no matter what it cost and thats why they are soo many flops in the current madrid like jovic, harzard, danilo etc and i hear they are going for mbappe or haaland, i jus pity them..
face ur club n leave the biggest player in spain alone, i kno you would be happy if he goes to city without thinking dt la liga would lose alot of revenue and money if he does..

chairman, Perez first tenure was utter rubbish and he was forced to resign. Since he came back, things have been different, he learnt his lesson. A director of football isnt always necessary when you have a good scouting network. You are quick to mention jovic and hazard as flops after only one season, but forgot the other wonderful signings over the decade- Ronaldo, Benzema, Alonso, Ozil, Di Maria, Modric, Kroos, Casemiro, Asensio, Vinicius, Rodrigo and arguably Bale. A team can't get everything right (Kaka, James,"Bale", Danilo) but Barcelona transfers have been shit over the last few years. Your 3 most expensive signings started the game against Bayern on the bench, that says a lot.

He will earn my respect if he move from his comfort zone.

theoneJabulani:
chairman, Perez first tenure was utter rubbish and he was forced to resign. Since he came back, things have been different, he learnt his lesson. A director of football isnt always necessary when you have a good scouting network. You are quick to mention jovic and hazard as flops after only one season, but forgot the other wonderful signings over the decade

guy abeg no start make i no drag u like small spoilt tiger gen, firstly wich second tenure have been different? have u forgotten the disgrace and heartbreaks dt madrid faced last season after cr7 left, being dumped in 3 diff competitions in a week.. small ajax disgraced you in santiago, barca knocked u out in copa dey rey and also beat you up again days letter to extend the league points which was named ht darkest week in Madrid all because cr7 leftf...all happened jus last season, and you ended uo sacking coaches, did you sack Perez or asked him to resign again and never come back for betraying cr7 and selling him off to juve when the world knows dt bale and benzema aint ready for the big task ahead..
secondly you are saying jovic are harzard are jus one season, my gee a real signing would at least give some good signs of good performances in this thier first season but with what the world saw from harzard and jovic this season, you cnt deny that they would spend d rest years in Madrid jus receiving wages..
lastly u said my higest players started the game from the bench, pls what's happening to bale and james dt aint injured and still collecting huge wages bt not even in ur team against city, heard they were in a hotel with city fans drinking and enjoying the match..

paulolee:

guy abeg no start make i no drag u like small spoilt tiger gen, firstly wich second tenure have been different? have u forgotten the disgrace and heartbreaks dt madrid faced last season after cr7 left, being dumped in 3 diff competitions in a week.. small ajax disgraced you in santiago, barca knocked u out in copa dey rey and also beat you up again days letter to extend the league points which was named ht darkest week in Madrid all because cr7 leftf...all happened jus last season, and you ended uo sacking coaches, did you sack Perez or asked him to resign again and never come back for betraying cr7 and selling him off to juve when the world knows dt bale and benzema aint ready for the big task ahead..
secondly you are saying jovic are harzard are jus one season, my gee a real signing would at least give some good signs of good performances in this thier first season but with what the world saw from harzard and jovic this season, you cnt deny that they would spend d rest years in madrid getting the sweet wages they moved for bcoz those transfers were not even needed.. now i hear you are secretly going for mbappe to play ahead of the same harzard dt needs time abi??

if you stop being a close minded fan, you would realise no team will remain the same after losing its manager who won 3 straight champions league and their top scorer. Sure Perez was at fault for not bringing in a replacement for Ronaldo's goals and he listened and brought in hazard and jovic who haven't performed but the fact is Perez listened. You guys have been needing a Suarez replacement for years but bartomeu hasn't done that. There are always rumours linking mbappe to Madrid, doesn't mean it's true, at least not for now. I don't where you are readily that Madrid want haaland, it's bogus.

Messi always have mercy, he will still succumb to barca pleas.

Lalasticlala

Not this time

Now or never

Messi Leaving is a scam....
Soon... Messi signed new deal.. Wage increased..


But above all Ronaldo is still the Real GOAT...

Ok

E no get liver

He is going nowhere. All these na media paparazzi