Lionel Messi will be hoping that "the spirit of the law" helps him out in his apparent quest to leave Barcelona, according to a report in Spain.
Barca icon Messi has stunned the club he has called home since 2001 by demanding to leave amid growing tensions in Catalonia.
The club were left embarrassed by the manner of their 8-2 defeat to new European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this month, with change coming at the top in the immediate aftermath.
Manager Quique Setien was sacked, and sporting director Eric Abial - who had engaged in a public disagreement with Messi in the past - also left his position.
Former Southampton and Everton boss Ronald Koeman has been appointed as the club's new manager, but he has walked into a extremely difficult situation around Messi, who is now determined to leave.
The 33-year-old is said to be looking to enforce a clause in his contract which allows him to walk away from the club on a free transfer at the end of any season should he wish.
However, the way that those contracts were drawn up has now become crucial in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Marca report that it is Barcelona's understanding that Messi would have a period of 20 days between June 10 and 30 to consider invoking the clause and leaving the club, with that period usually coming at the end of a normal season.
However with coronavirus causing havoc with football fixtures worldwide, Barca's season didn't end until that 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on August 14, with Messi making it known that he wishes to leave shortly after that match.
So as far as he is concerned, it is August 14 which should replace June 10 as the stated end of the season, even though Barca are disputing this.
Intriguingly though, Marca point to signed documents from both Barca and FIFA which state that the 2019/20 season end date would come when the team's last match was played, such is the unusual nature of it.
Messi could perhaps point to this in order to get what he wants, which is seemingly a fresh start elsewhere.
