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From the sale of Neymar to PSG, failure to land big signings and Messi's refusal to sign a new contract, it's no longer a secret that FC Barcelona are in crisis.

Agusti Benedito who has twice ran to be Barca President says the institutional crisis at the Catalan club is so grave that Bartomeu and the board should resign immediately. Messi, he suspects, as well as other Barca players, are not ignorant to the situation.

"I am almost convinced that Messi, like all the players at Barca, is seeing the severity of the institutional situation at the club," Benedito tells ESPN FC from his office on Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona.

"I think Leo is waiting to see what happens with the vote of no confidence, the signings that are made, how things are going in October, November. ... He's going to wait and wait. And with the way Bartomeu is going, with the team he's building, I think it's really clear that Leo, free, without a clause. ... it could be worse than the Neymar case. This could be worse.

"Bartomeu said in July that Messi had signed [the contract he agreed in June]. But he's still not signed. [Bartomeu] is playing with fire. He's still not been able to get Messi to sign. And if he's still not signed, it's because he's not certain."

If Messi doesn't sign his contract extension, he's free to talk to other clubs from Jan. 1. In theory, he could walk away for free next summer when his current terms expire.