Messi angry with Barcelona board over long-term future of the club
Lionel Messi has been left fuming by the Barcelona hierarchy over their management of the football club, and is worried about the long-term future of the Catalan team.
The forward has been linked with a switch to Manchester City this month, in a move that would see him link up with former manager Pep Guardiola.
Messi isn’t happy at the Nou Camp at the moment, and he has been growing increasingly frustrated over recent months.
The Argentinian lashed out at sporting director Eric Abidal on Instagram this week, condemning the former left-backs comments on the team.
Abidal claimed that some of the Barcelona players weren’t giving Ernesto Valverde 100 per cent.
Messi is worried that Barcelona won’t be where he wants them to be for the remaining years of his stellar career, according to The Athletic.
He has grown increasingly concerned about the on-field performances this season.
Barcelona started the La Liga season with a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
The same result was mirrored on Thursday night, as Athletic knocked Barca out of the Copa del Rey.
The Catalans have also had surprise defeats to Granada, Levante and Valencia this season.
Messi has previously been unhappy with life at Barcelona, but the club managed to weather the storm.
In 2016, he was linked with a move to City after being left underwhelmed by Barcelona’s treatment of his tax evasion case.
He felt that the club didn’t do enough to protect him from the media, or the state.
Amid the latest Messi unrest, the Argentina international has once again been tipped to join City this summer.
Messi has a clause in his contract that stipulates he can leave the Nou Camp on a free transfer at the end of the current season.
But, the forward will have to tell the Catalans of his decision to leave the club before the start of the summer transfer window.
Earlier this week, Messi reacted furiously to Abidal’s interview with Sport.
He wrote a public message to his 142million Instagram followers condemning the former left-back’s comments.
“I honestly don’t like to do these things, but I think everyone has to be responsible for their tasks and take care of their decisions,” Messi wrote.
“The players are responsible for what happens on the pitch, and we are also the first to acknowledge when we were not good.
“Those responsible for the area of sports management must also assume their responsibilities and above all take charge of the decisions they make.
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“Finally, I think that when talking about players, we should give names, because otherwise we are getting everyone dirty and feeding things that are said and are not true.”