La Liga: More details of Messi’s release clause emerge

Lionel Messi could leave FC Barcelona without a transfer fee if Catalonia.

He will also leave free if Catalonia’s independence push resulted in Barca exiting Spain’s top flight, and not joining either the English Premier League, the Bundesliga or Serie A.

El Mundo reported this on Friday citing a clause in his new contract.

Barca’s all-time top goalscorer signed the contract in November, seven months before his old deal expired.

It runs until June 2021 and contains a 700 million euro (£623 million) buy-out clause.

A Barca spokesman declined to comment directly on the report, but told the newspaper: “In the interests of confidentiality, the club never comment on contracts signed with players and never will.’’

The political crisis triggered by Catalonia’s independence drive remains unresolved after separatists won a slim parliamentary majority in a regional election last month.

Argentinian Messi’s latest contract was signed on Nov. 25, before that vote.

The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has repeatedly said FC Barcelona would be booted out of the Spanish league along with all other Catalan clubs in the event of independence.

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