Lionel Messi finally decided to leave Barcelona when he was told he'd no longer get the 'privileges' he's used to from the club

• Lionel Messi finally decided to leave Barcelona after the club's new coach reportedly told him his "privileges in the squad are over."
• Messi is understood to have told Ronald Koeman in a meeting last week that he was leaning toward leaving the club.
• The Argentine newspaper Diario Ole reported that Koeman told Messi: "Your privileges in the squad are over. You have to do everything for the team. I'm going to be inflexible. You have to think about the team."
• The exchange is believed to be what convinced Messi that his time at Barcelona is up, with the Argentine notifying the club on Tuesday of his intention to leave.

Lionel Messi finally decided to leave Barcelona after the club's new coach, Ronald Koeman, reportedly told him his "privileges in the squad are over."

Messi and Koeman met shortly after the Dutchman's appointment last week amid rumors that Messi wanted to leave the club following its 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Messi reportedly told Koeman that he "does not see his future at Barcelona clearly" and that he was leaning toward leaving.

The Argentine news outlet Diario Ole reported that Koeman told Messi: "Your privileges in the squad are over. You have to do everything for the team. I'm going to be inflexible. You have to think about the team."

It's unclear exactly what the privileges Messi received are, though he has had a significant influence on the club.

The exchange is believed to be what convinced Messi that his time at Barcelona is up, with the Argentine notifying the club on Tuesday of his intention to leave.

The Association Press reported that Barcelona had confirmed that it received documentation from the 33-year-old saying that he intended to leave.

The shocking move is likely to incite a legal battle between Messi's representatives and the club, with Messi's camp thinking that a clause in his contract will allow him to leave the club for free.

Barcelona, however, thinks that the clause expired in June, meaning interested parties would be forced to pay closer to his buyout clause of $825 million.

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are believed to be the frontrunners for Messi's signature.

• Read more:
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• $800 million Lionel Messi wants out of FC Barcelona, but only 2 teams on the planet can actually afford to buy him