Lionel Messi is pretty much FC Barcelona.The Catalan club's success over the past 15 years has largely been a direct result of Messi's brilliance; he's scored 634 goals in the famous blue and red shirt, winning many trophies along the way.Messi's incredible run could soon be coming to an end though after he put the wheels in motion to depart the Camp Nou.Having become disillusioned with matters on and off the pitch in Spain, Messi wants out. But Barcelona aren't ready to make things easy for him and a legal battle looks like it's about to commence.
Watching Barcelona without Messi will be a very, very strange experience but one that we might have to get used to.
However, previous experience suggests it really could be a struggle for the Blaugrana.
Messi scored 21 goals and provided 25 assists in La Liga last season, meaning he contributed to 53.4% of their total numbers of goals in the league.
That's a ridiculous number. And footage of Barcelona in action without their star man shows that life could be about to get very difficult for them.
Barcelona without Messi
Messi missed the start of the 2019/20 season through injury and was helpless to prevent them losing 1-0 to Athletic Bilbao in their opening game of the campaign.
Ernesto Valverde's side were very poor in the match, managing just two shots on target. It was clear just how much they missed Messi.
Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele started in attack for Barcelona but they lacked any spark. Without Messi's creativity, Barcelona couldn't get anything going and barely troubled Athletic Bilbao.
A video of the match highlights could be a worrying glimpse into Barcelona's future.
This is why Barcelona are so eager to keep Messi at the club for another season. They know that without him, they stand no chance of winning silverware.