Barcelona confirm Lionel Messi has asked to leave the club

The club confirmed the news to AP

Barcelona have confirmed to the Associated Press reports that club legend Lionel Messi has requested to leave the club where he has spent his entire career. The club confirmed that Messi has sent documents expressing his desire to depart the club and will look to activate a clause which will unilaterally end his contract. The news was initially reported by TyC Sports but it would appear that the club have now authenticated the claims. Speculation about the Argentine's future has been rife since the club was eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich after a humiliating 8-2 defeat. The defeat was the final nail in the coffin for a season which ended without a trophy, the first time the club has done that since 2007/08. Messi's now anticipated departure will bring an end to what has been one of the most successful, both commercially and on the pitch, partnerships in modern sporting history. Since breaking into the Barcelona first team, Messi has gone from strength to strength. He has won the Ballon d'Or on six occasions, as well as helping the team to four Champions League titles and 10 LaLiga trophies. Though success has never been far away in recent years, there has been distinct tension between Messi and the board for a considerable amount of time. It is understood that he is not happy with the current board. His preferred candidate to be the club's manager, former teammate Xavi Hernandez, is believed to have turned down the chance to return to Camp Nou until the board was changed.