Lionel Messi posters are already being TORN DOWN from the outside of the Nou Camp as Argentine superstar nears move to PSG on £1m-a-week, two-year contract after shock departure from Barcelona last week
- Lionel Messi left Barcelona last week and is nearing a deal at Paris Saint-Germain
- The striker left the cash-strapped Catalans last week due to club financial issues
- The Argentine’s face was torn down from outside the Camp Nou on Tuesday
- The 34-year-old called for ‘humility and respect’ when he left the club last week
Lionel Messi’s face was removed from outside the Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday as the Argentine closes in on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old’s shock departure from the Spanish side was announced last week and Messi waved goodbye to the club he spent his entire career at in an emotional press conference on Sunday.
Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday that he is set to commit to French side PSG on a two-year contract worth £500,000 a week and Barcelona have started their new era by removing pictures of their former captain from the club’s surroundings.
Lionel Messi’s face was taken off the side of Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday
Messi has a large poster of him and other Barca stars on the side of the 99,000-strong stadium
Messi took centre stage in a large image of multiple Barcelona stars including goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter-Stegen, Gerard Pique and Antoine Griezmann, but construction workers took down the strips showing Messi’s face.
The entire poster on the side of Barcelona’s 99,000-seater stadium has been removed following Messi’s departure, while club officials were also seen taking down smaller, street-side posters with the Argentina’s face on it.
The Argentine forward, who scored 672 goals in 778 matches for Barcelona and won 35 trophies in the process, is flying to France on Tuesday to complete his free transfer to PSG just over 48 hours after waving goodbye to the Catalan club.
An emotional Messi broke down in tears at a farewell press conference and called for ‘humility and respect’ from the club after he left.
The entire poster is being removed after the Argentine left the Catalan club last week
Club officials were seen tearing down any poster with Messi’s face on it on Tuesday
‘I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club.’
Messi also revealed how much he was willing to sacrifice in order to stay at Barcelona. The Catalans agreed a new contract with the Argentine over the summer but the club were unable to get the deal approved by LaLiga due to Barcelona’s financial problems.
He said: ‘I took a 50 per cent wage cut and we had closed the deal. The club did not ask anything else from me. They did not ask me to take a further 30 per cent cut, that’s a lie. We did everything possible.
Messi demanded humility and respect from the Barcelona community in his farewell speech
‘Honestly, when the elections happened (in March), I spoke with (club president Joan) Laporta, we had dinner and after that I was convinced I would be staying,’ he said.
‘My contract was never the issue… What I know is that I did everything I could. The club say it could not happen because of LaLiga.
‘I can guarantee you that I did everything I could to stay. Last year I didn’t want to and I said that, but this year it was different.’
Barcelona fans were crushed by the news of Messi’s departure on a free transfer last week
Messi was watched on at the press conference where several members of the Barcelona first-team, along with club legends from the past, attended to give one of the club’s greatest ever players an appropriate send-off.
On the night Barcelona announced Messi would no longer be remaining at the club on Wednesday, several Catalans supporters took to the Camp Nou to express their sadness at the decision.
Barcelona were also told they are not allowed to retire Messi’s No 10 shirt as it would cost them a place in their matchday squad for the forthcoming season. Spanish FA rules state LaLiga teams must assign their 25-man squads the numbers 1 to 25 for each league campaign.
PSG fans have been waiting at the Parc des Princes all week for Messi to arrive at the club
Meanwhile, Messi is set to be greeted by thousands of supporters in Paris waiting by PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium and Le Bourget airport looking to catch a glimpse of French football’s biggest new star.
Messi’s lawyers had been pouring over the contract proposal put forward by PSG since Sunday but gave it their approval on Tuesday morning. The final points of negotiation are understood to have concerned the six-time Ballon d’Or winners image rights, as well as the breakdown of his wages and various bonuses.
A press conference to welcome Messi to the club is set to take place on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.
