REVEALED: This was what coach Ronald Koeman said that angered Messi into wanting to leave Barcelona

REVEALED: This was what coach Ronald Koeman said that angered Messi into wanting to leave Barcelona

More facts have emerged about the reasons why Barcelona icon Lionel Messi has handed in a request to leave the club.

Apart from the not so impressive season which culminated in a 8-2 demolition by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, it has been revealed that Messi was particularly angered by a phrase used by new manager Ronald Koeman when the duo met.

Whilst this was more a case of a new coach touching base with his captain rather than any sort of exit-talk summit, the results have been revealing.

According to Deportes Cuatro, it was a meeting of incredible tension and Messi himself was left surprised by the stance the former Southampton coach took.

There was one particular phrase the report has cited which is said to have left Messi somewhat furious. “The privileges in this squad are over, you have to do everything for the team,” Koeman reportedly declared. “I’m going to be inflexible; you must only be thinking about the team.”

NOTICIA #DeportesCuatro

📺 NOTICIA #DeportesCuatro

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💥Tensión entre Messi y Koeman en su cara a cara. El argentino NO se esperaba la reunión de esta manera.

🇳🇱 "Se acabaron los privilegios, voy a ser inflexible"https://t.co/WPbiGQ0EEC

— Deportes Cuatro (@DeportesCuatro) August 25, 2020

According to Marca, Messi considered this to be such a show of authoritarianism that he tooki took exception to, especially with his relationships with coaches at Barcelona having generally not been that way throughout his career.

Then there is the fact that Messi is expected to sign a contract extension at the Camp Nou while several of his close friends and team-mates have being told they can leave.

Luis Suarez is the most significant, with the relationship between the two South American forwards known to be extremely good, however he is also likely to be irked by the same message being given to Arturo Vidal.