Messi slams ‘Barca crisis’ reports
Print Edition
FOUR-TIME World Player of the Year Lionel Messi shot back angrily on Sunday at rumors that he could leave Barcelona after clashing with coach Luis Enrique and the club’s board.
The Argentine was in top form with a goal and two assists as the Catalans ended an unsettling week off the field with a 3-1 win over La Liga champion Atletico Madrid.
“I have never demanded anything to ensure that I stay because I have never had any intention of leaving,” he told Barcelona TV after Sunday’s match. “I have heard it said that my dad has spoken to Chelsea or Manchester City. It is all lies. I have taken this chance to deny it so that everyone knows the truth.”
The Catalan press claimed Messi had met with Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu in midweek to ask for the former Barca captain Enrique to be replaced as coach.
“I am grateful to be able to give my version of events,” he said. “It hurts me because it comes from here, from Barcelona, from people that love the club, or say they do. It doesn’t come from Madrid like it has in the past. It is not good that they look for rivalry between Luis Enrique and I because there isn’t any,” Messi added.
“We need to be more united than ever, the fans and us. We have an important six months ahead to achieve good things for us and for the club.”
Earlier, Messi teed up Neymar to slot home the opener after 12 minutes and then repeated the trick to allow Luis Suarez to register just his second La Liga goal. The Argentine inadvertently handed Atletico a route back into the game when deemed to have brought down Jesus Gamez inside the area and Mario Mandzukic slammed home from the penalty spot.
Messi made amends when he slotted home the clinching goal from close range three minutes from time to move Barca back to within a point of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
In Italy, Serie A was bogged down in another refereeing controversy as Napoli and Juventus became involved in a slanging match on Sunday.
Juventus, 3-1 winner, reacted angrily after Napoli President Aurelio Di Laurentiis said a hairline decision which allowed Juventus’ second goal to stand was “either bad faith or incompetence.”
“We are tired. Juventus are a strong team, and if they are helped by the referees, they become unbeatable,” Di Laurentiis said. “It’s unacceptable that six referees cannot see two players offside.”
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