Lionel Messi

Messi and Barcelona: A Legendary Legacy

Lionel Messi and Barcelona have shared an indelible bond for over two decades, creating a legacy that transcends football. From the early days of La Masia to record-breaking achievements, their journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.

The La Masia Years

BARCELONA FINANCIAL ISSUES IN DETAILS

To say that five-time European champions Barcelona are in a financial crisis is an understatement. Barcelona are in a big mess financially andthis hasimpacted on their transfer dealings this summer. The Spanish La Liga giants have not been able to hand talisman Lionel Messi a new contract in addition to not being able to register their four new signings namely Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, Emerson Royce and Eric Garcia.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi urges for calm with young graduate Ansu Fati

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi believes the club should handle Ansu Fati’s progress in such a way that he is not pressurised to perform. The 16-year-old made his debut for the Catalan giants earlier this season and he has already made a mark with a couple of goals against Osasuna and Valencia while starting the Champions League clash at Borussia Dortmund.

Lionel Messi admits he wanted Neymar at Barcelona this summer

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has acknowledged that he would have loved to see Neymar make the return to the Camp Nou during the summer transfer window. The Brazil international was heavily tipped to rejoin the Spanish champions from Paris Saint-Germain but ultimately, the Blaugrana were unable to strike a suitable deal with Les Parisiens.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Sport, Messi admitted that he would have welcomed the return of Neymar at the Camp Nou despite the attacker’s unceremonious departure a couple of years ago. He added that the Brazilian’s arrival would have enhanced the club’s prospects of meeting their objectives for the season but that was not meant to be.

Filipe Luis speaks on the future of Neymar amid Barcelona return talk

Brazilian defender Filipe Luis has said that the return of Neymar to Barcelona would be considered as a shock, although it should benefit the Spanish champions. The Brazil international has experienced a mixed set of fortunes since making the world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain two years ago and he has recently been tipped to head back to the Camp Nou.

Speaking to Globo Esporte, Luis said that he has no idea regarding the future of Neymar, who has bowed out of Copa America duty due to injury. He added that Neymar’s potential return to the Blaugrana can be regarded as a huge shock, though he should prove a great signing for the Catalan giants.

Messi apologises to the fans for Barcelona’s shock Champions League exit

Argentina international Lionel Messi has said that Barcelona are still recovering after the shock Champions League exit at the hands of Liverpool. The Blaugrana were favourites to reach the final after grabbing a 3-0 advantage at the Camp Nou but they produced a disastrous showing on the road where a 4-0 loss saw the Reds progress in their expense.

Speaking in a rare press conference, Messi said that his team are still recovering from the Champions League setback earlier in the month. He added that the Blaugrana don’t need to apologise for the defeat but rather for the failure to compete during the return leg at Anfield, he said: "We are still recovering from what happened in Liverpool. At least I am.

McTominay believes Manchester United can still win at Camp Nou

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay believes the Red Devils have a good chance of overturning the 1-0 Champions League quarter-final deficit to Barcelona when they face them at the Camp Nou next week. The Red Devils started the home leg of the quarter-final tie on the backfoot, and this allowed the Blaugrana to open the scoresheet through a Luke Shaw own goal in the 12th minute after some fine game play between Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Thereafter, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side sought to play with a positive mindset which restricted the threat from the Blaugrana, but they failed to test Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the opposition goal through the entire game. Speaking after the match, McTominay said that the Red Devils probably offered too much respect to the opposition and that eventually cost them in a 1-0 loss.

Ernesto Valverde Praises Crucial Win over Real Betis

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde claimed that the 4-1 success over Real Betis was a crucial step in the right direction for the Catalan club. Barcelona have moved closer towards the title after a favourable set of results. Apart from watching Barcelona claim a big win over Real Betis, who have been in a recent form throughout the campaign,Valverde also witnessed Atletico Madrid drop three crucial points in the 2-0 loss against Athletic Bilbao. As a result, Barcelona have been able to open up a 10 point advantage at the top with 10 games left in the campaign.

After a mediocre 2017-18 campaign, the club are looking set to win the title for the second consecutive campaign. Barcelona have been unable to win the league title only once since the 2014-15 season. The decline of Real Madrid since the summer has been a major help for Barcelona, who are set to cruise to the title in the remainder of the campaign. Barcelona were able to enjoy this strong result against Real Betis thanks to the brilliance from Lionel Messi, who came in with a hat-trick. Luis Suarez was able to score the other goal for Barcelona just after the hour mark, while Loren Morón came up with a consolation for the home team.

Ernesto Valverde says Lionel Messi’s Argentina return was inevitable

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has said that Lionel Messi’s return to the Argentina fold was inevitable despite his recent reluctance to play for the national team. The Blaugrana star made himself unavailable for the South American nation shortly after a disappointing summer World Cup where they were ousted at the round of 16 stage.

Thereafter, there had been concerns whether Messi would have any intention of returning to Argentine duty but he has eventually ended the speculation by making a comeback for the forthcoming international friendlies. When asked on the same, Valverde admitted that there were no surprises and the question would rather have been presented to Lionel Scaloni, who is currently the head coach of Argentina. He said: "It's a question that concerns the Argentine coach. Messi's call, he escapes from my field. That Leo was going to return, we all knew, sooner or later. We see it naturally and I do not care at all, it's no change from other years."

Lionel Messi insists Barcelona need to concentrate on La Liga title race

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has said that Barcelona should remain focused on the title race following their stunning 4-2 comeback triumph over Sevilla on the road. The Blaugrana were 2-1 down at the hands of the Andalusian outfit at the interval, but they managed to turn things around with Messi coming up with the 50th hat-trick of his career.

Following the game, Messi said that the Catalan giants still have a long route to retaining the league title and they need to avoid complacency during the forthcoming run of fixtures, he told BeIN Sports: “No, because there is a long way to go. But it was really important to win because of what it means to win here and to keep our distance ahead of our rivals. Now more than ever, you have to use your head. Every time, it becomes more difficult to win, so we go away happy. We know what this ground is and what players they have. It was a difficult match for us but we were able to move forward.”

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