'How ugly! They used him and they kicked him': Venezuela president reacts to Messi's Barca exit

"How ugly what they did to Messi is! I cried with him when I saw him crying, I cried because he is a good, authentic boy and a great sporting glory in the world. What Barcelona's board did to him makes no sense," Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro has said at the medal ceremony of the country's Olympic athletes.

"If they are capable of doing that to Messi, who is the greatest glory of world football, then they are capable of doing it with any other player or person. They use them, they become billionaires, they campaign them for years and then they kick them," he also said.

This is not the first time when Maduro pays Messi a compliment or supports him as he seems to be a long-time fan of the Argentine.

Although Joan Laporta insisted he 'had done everything possible' to keep Messi at the club, there's growing skepticism about the president's decision – it has also resulted in the resignation of a board member.