'News of the decade' - How Spain has reacted to the news of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona

The shock news of Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona has left the entire football world reeling.

The Catalan club the Argentine superstar has called home for over two decades announced on Thursday evening that despite a deal being agreed for him to remain following the expiration of his latest contract, league rules mean he would not be able to sign on.

Barca's skyrocketing debts and Messi's staggering wages now mean that the greatest player of modern times is, at the time of writing, without a club to play his football.

The shockwaves of the news have reverberated across the globe but the impact will not be felt greater than in Spain itself and Eurosport Spain's Fermín de la Calle has explained exactly what this means for both player and club going forward.

I'm going to say big surprise! The surprise is so great that in Barcelona the media and Messi's teammates still don't believe that Leo will come out. For many it is a challenge from Joan Laporta to Javier Tebas, president of the League, because he has just sold a part of the league to CVC and the fund wanted Messi to stay in the League. As Tebas would not admit the registration of Messi if Barça did not position itself on the side of the League in the fight against the Super League, in the end Laporta has pressured him by communicating that Messi is leaving. We will see if it is true finally.

We have to wait because Messi has an agreement with Barca and we have to see the next movement of the League and the pressure on Tebas from CVC so that Messi stays. This is a game of chess and there is a lot to play for.

It seems so empty and it should be a great event. If confirmed, it is the news of the decade. But it is something that sooner or later must happen because the players are getting older.

It means that Barcelona would no longer have to sell many more players, by saving Messi's salary

This Barca side has not been able to win the Champions League in Europe or the League with Messi in Spain. So without him it will become a mediocre team.