Messi's father hits back at La Liga: €700 million does not need to be paid for Barcelona exit

The Argentine forward's father sent a letter to the Spanish top flight's president, Javier Tebas, on Friday rebutting the claims made in recent days

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Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, has hit back at La Liga's claim that the alleged €700 million (£624m/$823m) contract clause must be paid for the player to quit Barcelona in 2020.

The Argentine, 33, has been locked in a dispute with the Catalan club over whether he has permission to leave Camp Nou on a free transfer following the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.