The club captain was not happy with the manner in which the Uruguayan left and he made it known.

Lionel Messi continues his public war-of-words with Barcelona, with the latest point of grievance being the departure of Luis Suarez. However, unlike previous occasions in which the Blaugrana captain spoke out against the board, he was not alone, with former team-mate Neymar joining the Argentine in criticizing the Camp Nou higher-ups.

Suarez's six-year spell with the Catalan giants has come to an end, with the Uruguayan ace officially signing for rivals Atletico Madrid on Thursday. This brought an end to one of many transfer sages that went on at Barcelona, but it has also sparked controversy and anger from the Leo.

Initially, it was thought that Messi was against his close friend leaving the club. However, that does not seem to be accurate as the point of contention looks to be the manner in which the former Liverpool striker was forced out the door.

Having appointed Ronald Koeman as the successor to Quique Setien, the Dutchman deemed Suarez surplus to requirement. The gaffer informed the attacker, who is Barcelona's third all-time leading scorer, that he was no longer required and that he had until the new season to pack his bags and find a new club. Adding insult to injury, this conversation did not happen face-to-face, rather over the phone, a move which left a bad taste in the mouths of Suarez and Messi.

Taking to Instagram to bid his farewell, La Pulga penned a heartfelt tribute to his team-mate of six years but made sure to conclude with a jibe at the board amid the growing tensions. "I had already begun to imagine it but today I went into the dressing room and it truly dawned on me. It's going to be so difficult to not continue to share every day with you both on the pitches and away from them," the 33-year-old wrote.

 
 
 
 
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Ya me venía haciendo la idea pero hoy entré al vestuario y me cayó la ficha de verdad. Que difícil va a ser no seguir compartiendo el día a día con vos, tanto en las canchas como afuera. Los vamos a extrañar muchísimo. Fueron muchos años, muchos mates, comidas, cenas... Muchas cosas que nunca se van a olvidar, todos los días juntos. Va a ser raro verte con otra camiseta y mucho más enfrentarte. Te merecías que te despidan como lo que sos: uno de los jugadores más importantes de la historia del club, consiguiendo cosas importantes tanto en lo grupal como individualmente. Y no que te echen como lo hicieron. Pero la verdad que a esta altura ya no me sorprende nada. Te deseo todo lo mejor en este nuevo desafío. Te quiero mucho, los quiero mucho. Hasta pronto, amigo.

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on

"We're going to miss you so much. We spent many years together, many lunches and many dinners. So many things we will never forget, all the time we spent together.

"It will be strange to see you in another shirt and much more to come up against you on the pitch. You deserved a farewell that fit with who you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club. Someone who achieved great things for the team and on an individual level.

"You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore."

This is yet another clear and public hint at Messi's growing distaste for how his beloved team is being run. Interestingly, Neymar, who is also close with Messi and Suarez from their time together at the Camp Nou, weighed in on this topic, also slamming the Blaugrana board for their handling of this situation. "Incredible how they do things," was the Brazilian's response, which was accompanied by a facepalm emoji.

It will be interesting to see how the dynamic between Barcelona and the six-time Ballon d'Or winner plays out given that the Argentine will remain for the 2020/21 season. As for Suarez, he leaves the team having amassed 198 goals in 283 appearances for the Catalan giants. The focus now shifts to the Blaugrana's upcoming clash with Villarreal as Koeman's side prepare to kick off their La Liga campaign.

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Barcelona 4 - 0 Villarreal

September 27, 2020 3:00pmCamp Nou (Barcelona)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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