Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has sympathy for Manchester City over their two-season Champions League ban.
Speculation is already mounting as to whether City will be able to retain and attract the best players without the lure of being involved in Europe’s top club competition.
And Messi believes it could have a detrimental impact on their future.
“It is surprising because nobody thought that such a thing could happen,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
“Paris [Saint-Germain] paid a fine or I don’t know how it went. If in the end City does not play the Champions League for what it is, with the players, the club, and the money it spends, it will be weird.
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“There are many players who may look for an exit or perhaps not. The Champions League is very attractive so two years without playing it is screwed.”