A city in mourning: Barcelona fans stunned as Lionel Messi dispute escalates - in pictures

Star player refuses to attend Covid test and will not be allowed in training

A boy sporting a Lionel Messi's shirt sits on the pavement outside the Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi waiting for the arrival of players to undergo a medical test for Covid-19. AFP

A Barcelona supporter holds a placard in support of Argentinian star Lionel Messi during a march against the club's board. EPA

A Barcelona fan sitting on the sidewalk during a protest outside the Camp Nou. Reuters

A Barcelona fan holds a placard calling for the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. AFP

A woman poses with Lionel Messi merchandise after the new broke about his potential departure. Reuters

A picture of Messi on display at the Spanish La Liga soccer club's museum. EPA

A picture of Lionel Messi on display at the club's museum in Barcelona. EPA

A new artwork by street artist TVBoy depicting Lionel Messi entitled "Hasta Siempre Comandante" (Until Forever, Commander) in Barcelona. AFP

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past a mural of Lionel Messi. Reuters

Barcelona's French forward Antoine Griezmann arrives for his Covid test. AFP

A Barcelona fan is escorted out of the Camp Nou stadium premises. AFP

A woman takes a selfie with a mural of Lionel Messi dressed as Che Guevara. Reuters

Fans protest at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona against club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. EPA

Protests at Camp Nou against Barcelona's president Josep Maria Bartomeu. EPA

Protest at Camp Nou. EPA

A protester places a banner on a t-shirt at the Barcelona club shop. EPA

A tattoo of Lionel Messi on the leg of a Barcelona fan as he waits to see players arriving for coronavirus tests. EPA

Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets arrives for his Covid-19 test. EPA

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Messi's closest friend at Barcelona, arrives for his test. EPA

Spain's La Liga have released a statement saying Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical.

Messi's failure to show underlined the 33-year-old's determination to leave the club he has been with throughout his career, meaning he wouldn't be allowed to train on Monday even if he did turn up.

Stunned fans continued to wander around Camp Nou and the club's training ground fearing the worse with the Argentine superstar seemingly prepared to got to war.

The six-times world player of the year insists he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on a free transfer - a claim disputed by Barcelona and now by La Liga.

The ruling body said the only way a club can sign the Argentine forward is if he triggers a release clause of €700 million (Dh3060m).

"In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid," La Liga said.

Footage showed players arriving for coronavirus tests on Sunday and Messi did not appear. He had been due at Barcelona's training ground at 10.15am local time but a club source confirmed he had not arrived.

La Liga's stance is a blow to Messi's hopes of a quick departure and to those clubs wishing to sign him.

Premier League Manchester City are the favourites, which would allow Messi to link up with his former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola but such a large fee would put off any deals.

Messi, who has won more than 30 major trophies with the Spanish club and scored more than 600 goals, earns around one million euros per week.

He informed Barca on Tuesday he wished to leave immediately, plunging the club into new turmoil less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.

Messi's lawyers plan to invoke a clause in his four-year contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed the forward to leave the club for free if he had requested it by June 10.

They will argue that that date - nominally the end of the season - is now irrelevant after the coronavirus pandemic forced an extension of the La Liga season deep into August.

Messi's adoring fans at Barcelona were split over his apparent determination to force a move.

"A captain cannot abandon ship if it is sinking, but there isn't much time left until the end of his career and he has the right to choose what he wants," Eva Domingo, 39, said as she took a photo of graffiti depicting Messi as Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara pulling along a suitcase saying Manchester.

"I think he should sit down and talk if he wants to go, he should pay 700 million, and if not, then one more year here," said Pablo Garcia, wearing an FC Barcelona face mask.