La Liga stands with Barcelona and confirm Messi's €700M release clause is still active

La Liga have released an official statement to confirm they side with Barcelona in their legal dispute with Lionel Messi and they say that the player’s €700m release clause remains in place.

The 33-year-old has a clause in his deal allowing him to leave at the end of any season, and whilst it was thought that deadline passed in June, with Marca reporting last week that the player’s camp believe that it has been extended in line with the prolonged 2019/20 season.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the current board of the Catalan giants are said to be insistent they will not allow their superstar to leave as a free agent and they will only be prepared to meet with the player to discuss a new contract.

Bartomeu and his board have now been vindicated by La Liga, who say that the release clause – which is likely to prove unattainable for any club – remains in place for Messi.