Has Messi played his last game for Barcelona? Argentine given permission to miss final LaLiga game

0
24

[ad_1]

Has Messi played his last game for Barcelona? Argentine star is given permission to miss final LaLiga game of the season with title ambitions over, with star man to rest up ahead of Copa America campaign on home soil

  • Lionel Messi has been allowed to miss Barcelona’s last game after title bid ended
  • The forward now has more time to prepare for the Copa America with Argentina
  • Messi still has not signed a new deal with Barca and can leave for free in June
  • He has not discussed his future in a while but breaks his silence on Saturday 











Barcelona are allowing Lionel Messi more time to rest ahead of this summer’s Copa America with Argentina after giving their captain permission to miss Friday’s training session and their final game of the LaLiga season away to Eibar on Saturday.

The Catalans crashed out of the title race with a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Celta Vigo last week, the final blow in a terrible end to the campaign for Ronald Koeman’s side.

With leaders Atletico Madrid doing battle with Real Madrid for the title on the final day, there is nothing riding on Barcelona’s game at Eibar, who are already relegated, and the club see no need to ask Messi to play after what has been an unforgiving season for the Argentine.

Lionel Messi had a frustrating final home game of the season as Barcelona lost to Celta Vigo

Lionel Messi had a frustrating final home game of the season as Barcelona lost to Celta Vigo

Messi will not face Eibar and has more time to rest for the Copa America with Argentina

Messi will not face Eibar and has more time to rest for the Copa America with Argentina

Barca said in a statement that Messi had been granted permission by coach Ronald Koeman to miss training and the final game, pointing out that the skipper and top scorer ‘is one of the players in the squad who has played most’ this season.

The decision means Barca’s all-time scorer and appearance maker may never play again for the club, as he still has not signed a new contract and is free to join any other side free of charge when his deal ends on June 30.

Barca’s bid to keep Messi was boosted when Joan Laporta, who presided over Messi’s rise from a long-haired teenager at the La Masia academy into the best player in the world, was elected for a second time in March.

Laporta has said he will ‘do everything’ to convince Messi to stay and has a far better relationship with the Argentine than predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu, who led to the player stunning world football last year by asking to leave.

But there has been no news on a new deal while Barcelona continue to be beset by their catastrophic financial situation. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta gets on well with Messi but has not yet struck a deal with him

Barcelona president Joan Laporta gets on well with Messi but has not yet struck a deal with him

Messi (pictured with Sergio Aguero) will captain Argentina at the Copa America on home soil

Messi (pictured with Sergio Aguero) will captain Argentina at the Copa America on home soil

Messi meanwhile has not spoken about his future since a revealing interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta in December although he is due to break his silence in an interview with Argentine newspaper Ole on Saturday.  

Messi has made 47 appearances in all competitions this season, including 35 LaLiga games and six Champions League matches plus five in the Copa del Rey, the only trophy Barca won in a chaotic and often frustrating campaign.

He is also set to finish top scorer in LaLiga for a fifth year in a row as he has scored 30 goals this season, seven more than nearest challenger Gerard Moreno of Villarreal. 

Messi will look to compensate for a disappointing season with his club when he leads Argentina into the Copa America on home soil, looking to win a first ever major trophy with his country.

Argentina were due to co-host the tournament with Colombia although organisers CONMEBOL have stripped Colombia of hosting rights amid fierce anti-government protests.



[ad_2]

Source link

Have something to say? Leave a comment: