Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has told the club he wishes to leave the club immediately, Argentine network Tyc Sports reported on Tuesday.

The report on Tyc’s website said Messi, who has spent his entire career at Barca, informed the club about his desire to leave by sending a burofax, a service used in Spain to urgently dispatch a document that requires proof to third parties.

Barca’s all-time top scorer has a contract with the Catalans until 2021but has grown disappointed with events on and off the pitch at Camp Nou in recent months. The 8-2 Champions League humiliation at the hands of eventual winners Bayern Munich proved the final straw and he has now informed the club of his desire to embark on a new challenge following a first trophy-less season since 2007-08.

Coach Quique Setien was sacked after the Bayern loss and Messi met with his replacement Ronald Koeman last week, telling him that he had doubts about his future in Catalonia. After several days of further reflection, Messi has now decided he wants to spend the final years of his career away from Barca, who he first joined almost 20 years ago as a teenager.

Reliable Catalan reporter Gerard Romero all but confirmed the shocking development.

He tweeted:

“Thank you President, for this historic disaster. What a shame.”

Former Skipper Carles Puyol also tweeted:

“Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend.”