Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has moved to calm doubts about the future of club captain Lionel Messi and has assured that the player is “enjoying every day” at the club.
Barcelona news in recent months has been defined by the Messi news this year because the club captain had been seeking an exit, although the club stood firm on his future last summer.
This week, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona, breaking the record set by Pele with Santos, to continue his remarkable record throughout his career.
In quotes carried by Marca, Koeman has spoken of the club’s captain: “Messi is enjoying every day and is heavily involved at Barcelona.
“In principle, just like any player, if he is fit to play and is well, then he plays. And of course, Leo is older than he was before, but he is still a player who likes to be there a lot and above all to win games.
“As a coach I talk to my players, and I also talk to Leo about this and about other things because he is captain of the team too, there are rules, and we talk about many things, not just the game. That is, this is the daily work of a coach who has communication with his players.”
Messi, who turns 34 next summer, has remained an emblematic star for the Catalan club for whom he has netted 644 goals in a total of 749 first-team appearances – including 10 in 18 appearances this season.
Whilst his future beyond the current campaign appears to be uncertain, the Argentine superstar remains highly influential at the Blaugrana and is fundamental to any successes this season.
Giving up the 4-2-3-1 system is something that must be done! Barcelona doesn’t have the right midfielders for that!
On the other hand, Messi’s return Home triggered the alarm among La Liga referees which have responded promptly!