Lionel Messi has said he is ‘tired of always being the problem’ at Barcelona – in response to claims that he holds a ‘regime of terror’ at the club from Antoine Griezmann‘s former agent.
Messi Hits Back at Eric Olhats – Who Claimed Argentine’s Attitude Towards Griezmann at Barcelona Was ‘Deplorable’
Messi Was Confronted By Reporters Upon Return to Barcelona From International Duty
Speaking on his return to Barcelona, having been away with Argentina on international duty, Messi told Spanish media:
“The truth is that I’m a little tired of always being the problem for everything at the club.
“On top of that, after a 15-hour flight, I had the tax authorities waiting for me. It’s madness.”
Olhats: ‘It is a Regime of Terror’
Messi’s comments come after Eric Olhats – Griezmann’s former agent and mentor – told France Football that Messi’s influence at Barcelona had made it difficult for Griezmann to settle at the club:
“Antoine arrived at a club with serious problems where Messi controls everything. He is both emperor and monarch and wasn’t happy with Antoine’s arrival.
“His attitude has been deplorable, it has made him feel [displeasure]. I have always heard Antoine say that he had no problems with Messi, but never the other way around.
“It is the regime of terror. Either you are with him, or you are against him.”
The episode is the latest installment in the saga surrounding Messi’s future at Barcelona.
The Argentine icon had tried to leave the club for free during the summer transfer window. However, he ended up staying at the Camp Nou, after La Liga ruled his release clause of £700m had to be paid.
Messi’s decision to stay for another year avoided a legal battle with the club.
Tax Issues Continue to Dog Messi
Messi’s latest run-in with the tax authorities follows a long line of disputes over how much money he should be paying to the Spanish government.
In 2016, he was given a 21-month prison sentence as well as a fine of 2m euros (£1.8m) for defrauding the Spanish government of 4.2m euros over income earned from image rights.
Messi was allowed to exchange his sentence for a 250,000 euros fin instead – Spanish law allows defendants without a previous conviction to serve any sentence of under two years on probation.
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