Barcelona’s season is threatening to go from bad to worse after reports of a scuffle between Lionel Messi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen have come to the fore.
According to Sportslens, Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi was embroiled in a bust-up with goalkeeper Ter Stegen. The Catalans are already going through a testing time this season, but the latest fracas between two of the club’s most important players has left the dressing room in a state of shock.
There have been tensions between the two players before at the Camp Nou. The German goalkeeper joined Barcelona in the summer of 2014 and has established himself as one of the best in the world.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi’s importance and influence at the club is unprecedented. As such, the clash between the two heavyweights now threatens to tear the Barcelona squad apart.
Trouble brewed once Lionel Messi’s voting choices in FIFA’s The Best Awards were revealed. The Argentine has always backed his teammates during such polls, but surprisingly ignored his teammate while voting for the Best Goalkeeper award this year.
The Barcelona skipper opted for Keylor Navas as his first choice, with Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak following in second and third place respectively. Ter Stegen's absence from the Argentinean’s choices reportedly infuriated the German.
The Barcelona goalkeeper recently signed a contract extension with the Blaugrana but is uncertain about his future following the clash with Lionel Messi. Ter Stegen is so frustrated that he has postponed the filming of a movie based on his life to next season when the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is expected to depart the club.
Lionel Messi expected to leave Barcelona at the end of this season
Lionel Messi’s future has been the subject of much speculation for some time now and the player famously asked to leave Barcelona last summer. The Argentine’s current contract expires at the end of this season and he will likely leave the Blaugrana in six months.
The Barcelona skipper revealed in a recent interview with La Sexta the reasons why he was keen to exit the Camp Nou last summer. Lionel Messi even claimed that former president Josep Maria Bartomeu had blocked his exit.
It now appears that the Argentinean’s departure from the Spanish giants will happen in a matter of time, even though it is unclear which club the player will move to.