Remember back in November when Lionel Messi finally signed his contract extension with Barcelona? It looks like that contract has a really interesting and surprising clause in it that would let Messi leave if a certain political situation results in the city no longer being a part of Spain. Here's what to know.
What's the clause?
According to El Mundo, Messi has a release clause in his contract that he can trigger if Barcelona establishes Independence from Spain. Otherwise, to leave he and another club would have to figure out how to pay a 700 million euro release clause.
What's going on in Barcelona?
Catalonian separatists are, against the wish of the Spanish government, seeking independence from Spain. It has resulted in violent clashes and hundreds of injuries, leading to an unrest in the region. A vote was held to become Independent, but the national government of Spain deemed it illegal.
The clashes, which took place back in November, resulted in Barca hosting Las Palmas with no fans in the stadium at all.
What does it mean for the clubs if the region leaves Spain?
Not just Barcelona, but Girona, Espanyol and Gimnastic would potentially stop participating in national competitions such as La Liga and the Copa del Rey. His contract reportedly says he can continue to play for Barcelona as long as they are in a top-tier league in Europe. For example, Swansea City plays in the Premier League but is in Wales and not England. Monaco is considered a sovereign city-state, country and microstate but it is located inside of France and plays in Ligue 1.
Why would Messi have this clause?
Better safe than sorry, right? Who knows how tax laws and more would change under a new government, so Messi certainly wants to put himself in a safe, controllable situation down the road if the region does gain Independence and if Barca wasn't able to join another top league. All of this seems unlikely in the end, but there's nothing wrong with protecting your future.
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