Lionel Messi lashes out at Barcelona for selling Luis Suarez

Barcelona鈥檚 forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez warm up before the 鈥楨l Clasico鈥� Spanish League football match against Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona last year. (AFP file photo)
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BARCELONA: Lionel Messi criticized the exit of teammate and good friend Luis Suarez on Friday, dealing another blow to the damaged relationship between the Argentine and Barcelona鈥檚 leadership.

Messi posted a photo of himself with Suarez on Instagram with a message expressing his sadness for his friend鈥檚 departure and his anger at how the club transferred him to Atletico Madrid.

鈥淚t is going to be so strange seeing you in another shirt, and even stranger to have to play against you,鈥� Messi wrote.

鈥淵ou deserved a sending-off fit for what you are: One of the most important players in club history, both for what you did for the group and individually 鈥� not the one they gave you. But it is true that at this point nothing surprises me.鈥�

Barcelona decided to overhaul its squad after the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last month.

The 33-year-old Suarez was told by incoming coach Ronald Koeman that he was no longer wanted.

The club, hard hit financially by the coronavirus pandemic, also needed to reduce its expenditures on salaries for its players. Suarez bid farewell to Barcelona鈥檚 fans in an emotional news conference on Thursday.

He leaves Camp Nou as the club鈥檚 third leading scorer with 198 goals.

The Uruguayan helped Barcelona win 13 titles since arriving in 2014 from Liverpool, including four Spanish league trophies and the Champions League in 2015.

Suarez forged a dynamic scoring duo with Messi over the years, and the two South Americans became neighbors and fast friends, along with their families.

鈥淚 was accepting the idea (of your departure), but not until I entered the changing room did I realize what it means,鈥� Messi wrote.

鈥淗ow difficult it is going to be not sharing each day with you, both on and off the field. We will miss you very much. These have been many years of many mates, lunches, dinners ... many things I won鈥檛 forget from all those days together.鈥�

Barcelona transferred Su谩rez to Spanish league rival Atl茅tico for 鈧�6 million ($7 million).

Messi had tried to leave the club he has been a part of for 20 years after the debacle against Bayern, but Barcelona replied that he must finish the final year of his contract.

Suarez also took Messi鈥檚 side in the dispute on Thursday when he said: 鈥淚 have to accept it if the club decides it is time that I go, just like the club should accept it if a player wants to leave.鈥�

Messi, however, has already given up in trying to leave this season.

He has vowed to play his hardest for the team while he remains 鈥� even if he is even more disgruntled after Su谩rez鈥檚 departure.

Messi鈥檚 comments are the latest run-in between him and the club鈥檚 board.

Club president Josep Bartomeu has called for elections in March, in which he cannot run again, but he is also facing a censure referendum that could oust him and his board in the coming weeks.