Barças star captain Lionel Messi has bid an emotional farewell to Luis Suarez, the day after the Uruguayan striker said his own tearful adiós to FC Barcelona – with the club sending him off to play at Atletico Madrid.
Today I went into the dressing room and the awful truth hit me, Messi wrote on Instagram, before again criticising the clubs management.
You deserved a send-off for what you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club, Messi wrote. And not to be fired in the way they did it.
The truth is that at this point nothing surprises me anymore.
Messi has an on-going battle with Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu which got worse after Barcelona were thrashed 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final in August.
The result confirmed the departure of coach Quique Setién from the club, and the arrival of Ronald Koeman.
Messi tried to leave Barcelona but finally accepted that he would have to see out the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, two of his closest colleagues in the team, Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal, have now left. The 33-year-old Suarez has moved to Atletico on a two-year contract on a free transfer.
