Lionel Messi has earned the right to decide his future, proclaims Sergio Ramos

While the historic loss to Bayern Munich may not have played a big role in Lionel Messi’s decision to leave Barcelona, it was certainly the catalyst for change. It saw the La Liga giants overhaul their hierarchy with Quique Setien and Eric Abidal sacked and replaced. However, it has also seen Messi believe that his future, and final years as a footballer, doesn’t lie with Barcelona as he submitted a transfer request less than a few weeks later.

The Argentine and his team believe that a clause in his contract that allows him to leave is still valid and has refused to attend training since the request to leave was handed in. However, with a court case on the horizon, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has admitted that Messi has earned the respect and the right to decide his future. Ramos further added that ‘we’, the Real Madrid team, want him to stay because the 33-year-old makes the Spanish top tier that much better.

"I think has earned the respect to decide his future. I don't know if he's doing it in the best way. But of course, for Spanish football, for Barcelona and for us, we always like to win being the best. We would like him to stay here,” Ramos told reporters ahead of Spain’s Nations League game vs Germany.

“Leo makes the Spanish league better, he makes his team better and he makes the Clasico more attractive. We like to win with the best there and he's one of the best in the world. There isn't much to add, he's won the respect to decide his future, him alone, without any speculation at all. Let's see what happens."