Football world in shock as Messi agrees €500m Real Madrid


The Barcelona legend will depart Camp Nou this summer after the Spanish champions' greatest rivals activated his €250 million buy-
out clause
EXCLUSIVE
Lionel Messi has left Barcelona in turmoil by agreeing to join Real
Madrid at the end of the season in a record-breaking five-year deal
that will be worth around half a billion euros.
The Argentine forward, winner of five Ballon d'Or awards and
considered one of the greatest players of all time, will cost Madrid
€250m to buy and approximately the same again in agent fees,
commissions and wages.
The move was announced directly before Saturday's Clasico at the
Santiago Bernabeu in what appears to have been a deliberate
move
to destabilise the Liga leaders.
Messi, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old, explained that money
was the only factor driving his move.
"With Financial Fair Play, Barcelona could not give me what I
wanted and deserved," the 28-year-old said at the pre-match press
conference.
"I recommended they fund my contract by selling the Camp Nou,
but for some reason they valued the club more than me.
"When I learned this, I was heartbroken and our relationship was
finished.
"A man of my status should have a 2000-metre long mega-yacht,
staffed and powered at all times. Like [Roman] Abramovich. The
purchase and operating costs alone demand that I take home €50m
per year after tax. Minimum. Is that too much to ask?"
However, Goal correspondent Garry McGarry obtained exclusive
information hinting at other reasons for the move.
"Gerard Pique kept beating Messi at Fifa," McGarry explained in a
series of poorly-worded tweets. "Messi hates to lose and became
angered when the club refused to replace Pique's left hand with a
pirate's hook.
"That was it for the ‘little dictator’, and he has done the
unthinkable."
Sources in Madrid have indicated that Messi has also been offered
the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, "when we get it back after
Britain leaves the EU", information which was not confirmed or
denied by the Messi camp.
In an official statement released by Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo
said he was delighted to welcome Messi aboard and that he was
"looking forward to receiving his support from the wing".
Barcelona, meanwhile, continue to be beset by financial difficulties
but are expected to replace Messi with Leicester City's Jamie Vardy,
who will be mentored by Uruguay star Luis Suarez.


Happy April 1st!

Source: http://m.goal.com/x/en/news/13712/extra-time/2016/04/01/21880112/football-world-in-shock-as-messi-agrees-500m-real-madrid