Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said that Lionel Messi's contract renewal "is effectively already signed" and rejected fears a club could trigger the €300M ($357.1M) buyout clause in the new deal, according to Samuel Marsden of ESPN.com. Bartomeu said that the extension -- "officially announced by the club in July" -- is missing only "the official photograph and the protocol of the signature" as he sought to "play down fears" that Messi could leave the club. Former Barça presidential candidate Agustí Benedito launched a no-confidence vote against Bartomeu on Friday, suggesting, among other things, that Messi "could leave for free" when the current deal expires in the summer due to the board's "continued mismanagement of the club." Bartomeu, though, said that the extension is "all agreed and signed." Bartomeu said at the end of July that Messi had signed, but Barcelona VP Jordi Mestre later "indicated that that was not the case." Asked what is needed for it to be "rubber-stamped," Bartomeu said, "Just that Leo arrives and we have the official photograph and the protocol of the signature. The contract's signed. ... There are no problems. It's just the protocol of the signature. We're relaxed" (ESPN.com, 9/5). AS reported Bartomeu "gave two simultaneous interviews" to Catalan publications Mundo Deportivo and Sport. He said to Sport, "He has signed his renewal and the photograph will be taken soon." At the same time, Bartomeu told Mundo Deportivo that the person who signed the deal "was not Messi, but his father." He said, "Barcelona fans should not worry about Messi: his father signed the renewal" (AS, 9/5).
