Lionel Messi needs to pass a coronavirus test before he can join preseason training with Barcelona as soon as Monday, according to Spanish reports relayed by Agence France-Presse.
The 33-year-old made a U-turn on his decision to leave the club on Friday because he wanted to avoid a legal battle with Barcelona. However, the Argentine icon maintained that club president Josep Maria Bartomeu broke a promise by not allowing him to terminate his Camp Nou contract.
“I wanted to go because I thought about living my last years of football happily. Lately, I have not found happiness within the club,” he said in the blockbuster interview with Goal that confirmed his stay.
Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, and Jordi Alba were among the players who reported to the Joan Gamper complex for Saturday morning’s session, but Messi wasn’t among them, AFP reporters said.
Messi deliberately skipped last Sunday’s coronavirus testing ahead of the anticipated start of his preseason workouts the following day. The player’s lawyers reportedly believed he would harm his legal position by working with the club ahead of the 2020-21 term.
Now, after opting to stay at the …read more
Via:: The Score La Liga