Barcelona, Aug 26 (IANS): Lionel Messi has told Barcelona that he wants to leave the club this summer, reports said.
According to ESPN, the club confirmed that they were notified by Messi of his decision via burofax, a service used in Spain to urgently dispatch a document that requires proof to third parties.
The announcement comes 11 days after Barcelona's humiliating 2-8 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, one of the worst defeats in the player's career and in the club's history.
Messi (33) has a contract until 2021 but has grown disappointed with events on and off the pitch at Camp Nou in recent months.
Coach Quique Setien was sacked after the Bayern loss. Messi met with Setien's replacement, Ronald Koeman, last week, telling him that he had doubts about his future in Catalonia.