Pique calls Barcelona 'broken' following Messi exit

Several days after FC Barcelona's announcement which confirmed the departure of Lionel Messi, the shockwaves are still rippling across the football world. Barcelona veteran Gerard Pique has weighed in on the situation, and has admitted that the Argentine's exit has left the club "broken."

Since last summer, following the controversial "burofax bombshell" that saw Messi asking the club for a transfer, Barcelona fans had been anxious about the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. While his release clause managed to stop him from leaving last year, things were very different this summer.

While president Joan Laporta made it his mission to convince Messi to stay, which he did, the club was not able to settle their finances sufficiently in order to be able to lock down a new deal with the player.

During Sunday's press conference where Messi bid an emotional farewell to the club's fans, members of the first team and club executives were also in attendance. "The team is a bit broken because of Messi's departure, and we will lose magic in attack, but we have to move forward as the fans expect a lot", said Pique, as quoted by Football España.

"We've lost the best player of all time and it hurts us all," he added, before admitting that he is not fully aware of what led to the breakdown of Messi's contract renewal. The Argentine himself said that he had made the decision to stay, but the club was not able to do enough to make it happen. "I don't know the whole story, the two parties have said it was a matter of numbers, but the management of previous years has not helped," said Pique, taking a dig at the administration of former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Meanwhile, manager Ronald Koeman is also focusing on the future. He had also been vocal about wanting Messi to stay, but now that it won't be possible, he is determined to rebuild the club with the players that he has in his current roster.

Messi is strongly being linked to a move to Paris Saint-Germain, which is a situation that is not being received well by Barcelona club members.