- Title: Soccer fans in Barcelona speculate about Lionel Messi's future
- Date: 9th August 2021
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) FACADE OF BARCELONA'S AIRPORT CORPORATE TERMINAL VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE CORPORATE TERMINAL WAITING FOR LEO MESSI FCB SUPPORTERS WAITING FOR MESSI MAN WITH A FCB JERSEY ON HIS SHOULDERS LOOKING AT HIS PHONE SIGN READING (Spanish): "BARCELONA / TERMINAL T1 / TERMINAL T2" FACADE OF CORPORATE TERMINAL CASTELLDEFELS, SPAIN (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF LEO MESSI'S HOUSE VARIOUS OF BARCA FANS WEARING MESSI'S SHIRT ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA FAN, SAUL MORENO, SAYING: "I don't want Messi to go to PSG, but I know he's going to go." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA FAN, CRISTIAN GARCIA, SAYING: "Devastated, it is a feeling of many years to see a team that I have always supported and loved, and now to see a player that I have always followed, who is an example for me, to see him leave now is a lot of pain." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA AND ARGENTINA FAN, GONZALO MORENO, SAYING: "But I don't think the club has done enough to make him stay, I think it was in the club's hands to make him stay, beyond the money." VARIOUS OF BARCA AND ARGENTINA FANS OUTSIDE MESSI'S HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA AND ARGENTINA FAN, JONAS ROMERO, SAYING: "We are waiting to see if we can see Messi before he leaves for PSG." JOURNALIST ASKING: What would you ask of him? "To sign my jersey and take a picture with him." VIETNAMESE FAN OUTSIDE MESSI'S HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BARCA FAN, TIEN VU FROM VIETNAM, SAYING: "I am a fan of Barca and I don't want (he leaves), I want for him to stay here and retire here at Barca" BARCA FAN WEARING BARCA'S SHIRT BARCA'S SHIRT BARCA FANS OUTSIDE MESSI'S HOUSE
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2021 10:37
- Keywords: Barca Castelldefels FCB Leo Messi Messi Spain airport soccer
- Location: BARCELONA AND CASTELLDEFELS, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA AND CASTELLDEFELS, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001EPK6GCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Some Barcelona fans gathered on Monday (August 9) at the city's airport and at Lionel Messi's house as the future of the Argentine talisman is still in the balance.
No movement was seen from outside Messi's house, Reuters TV footage showed, while some media waited at a corporate airport terminal for the star player.
French newspaper L'Equipe reported on Sunday (August 8) that he will travel to France to undertake a medical and finalize a deal with the Qatar Sports Investment-owned club Paris Saint Germain.
Father and agent of Lionel Messi, Jorge Messi, arrived at his house on Sunday evening by car.
Messi wept on Sunday as he bade farewell to his boyhood team FC Barcelona and confirmed he was talking with PSG over a possible move.
The 34-year-old Argentine's emotional news conference followed Barca's announcement last week that it could no longer afford him after a glittering two decades.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported PSG formally sent their offer to Messi on Sunday morning, just as the Argentine held the news conference.
(Production: Jordi Rubio, Horaci Garcia, Luis Felipe Castilleja, Elena Rodriguez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
