Tag: Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi urges Barcelona to appoint Marcelo Bielsa as new head coach

Marcelo Bielsa, who has been a mentor to Pep Guardiola in the past, has previously managed in La Liga, taking charge of Espanyol in 1998 before leading Athletic Bilbao between 2011 and 2013.

Lionel Messi has reportedly expressed his interest in having Leeds United’s Marcelo Bielsa as the new manager of Barcelona after a disappointing second-place finish in La Liga last season.

Bielsa led Leeds United back into the Premier League for the 2020/21 campaign with a Championship title win, ending a 16-year-long wait. But the Argentine tactician is yet to sign a new contract at Elland Road.

The 65-year-old’s existing deal with Leeds is due to expire next week, and according to The Sun, Messi has urged Barcelona to bring the former Athletic Bilbao manager back in Spain.

After being appointed mid-season as the head coach of the Catalan club, Quique Setien is under pressure of losing his job after conceding the domestic league title to rivals Real Madrid by five points.

According to The Sun, Barcelona are yet to make contact with Bielsa’s representatives but the threat of a move “will set alarm bells ringing at Elland Road”.

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani, on the other hand, believes that the Argentine coach will need no persuasion to extend his deal at the club.

“It’s on merit for him to be here and he deserves it. I think it’s an honour for Marcelo as for any other coach to be in charge of a club like Leeds United in the Premier League,” said Radrizzani.

“So, at the end, we don’t have to persuade anyone to stay at our club. It’s on merit and ambition because it’s a big club,” he added.

Bielsa, who has been a mentor to Pep Guardiola in the past, has the experience of managing in La Liga, taking charge of Espanyol in 1998 before leading Athletic Bilbao between 2011 and 2013.

Barcelona will take on Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 UEFA Champions League clash on August 8 with the tie delicately poised following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Italy.

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Messi will sign new deal says Barcelona president

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he has “no doubt” Argentina forward Lionel Messi will sign a new contract with the club.

The 33-year-old’s current deal expires in 2021.

BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague recently reported Messi was “fed up” at the Spanish club.

“Messi has said many times that he wants to retire here and I have no doubt that he will re-sign,” Bartomeu told Mundo Deportivo.

Barcelona finished the domestic season five points behind La Liga champions Real Madrid.

They play the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Napoli on 8 August with the score 1-1 from the first match in February.

Messi, who won the La Liga Golden Boot with 25 goals, has said “things have to change” at the club.

On the transfer front, Bartomeu added: “Now we are making decisions and the players, if they do not come as part of a player exchange, it is very difficult for them to come.”

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Barcelona keep slim hope for title

Barcelona kept alive their slim La Liga title hopes with an excellent victory at in-form Villarreal.

They took an early lead when Pau Torres turned in Jordi Alba’s cross but Gerard Moreno levelled for Villarreal.

Lionel Messi brilliantly won the ball in midfield before feeding Luis Suarez – who curled in from 20 yards – and the Barca captain then backheeled to Antoine Griezmann, who scored a magnificent chip.

Ansu Fati blasted in a late fourth.

Barca’s front three of Messi, Suarez and Griezmann clicked perfectly in one of their best performances in recent months.

Messi has now reached 19 La Liga assists this season, the most of any player since he reached that figure in 2010-11.

He was unlucky not to score as he had a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside and hit the crossbar with a late free-kick.

Barca are four points behind Real Madrid with four games to go and need their old rivals to slip up at least twice to have a hope of retaining their title.

Villarreal had won five games and drawn the other since La Liga restarted following the coronavirus pandemic.

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Lionel Messi’s return to Newell’s Old Boys ‘not impossible’, claims club vice-president

Although Lionel Messi is expected to sign a new contract with Barcelona, Newell’s Old Boys vice-president Cristian D’Amico is not ruling out the return of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Amidst growing tensions at Barcelona, Lionel Messi has been tipped for a return to his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina by the club’s vice-president.

Messi left the Argentine club at the age of 13 when Barcelona came calling in 2000. Although Messi is expected to sign a new contract with the Catalan club, Newell’s vice-president Cristian D’Amico hopes that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner can make a comeback in the future.

“I don’t know if it’s impossible. It’s a decision exclusively made by him and his family. We have to have the best possible context to help make a decision,” D’Amico told TNT Sports.

“When [Diego] Maradona came to Newell’s, nobody thought that he would come either. I hope that something similar can happen with Leo.”

“Obviously we shouldn’t be making things up, this is a delicate subject. What Newell’s doesn’t dream of seeing the world’s best player in their team’s colours? Time will tell maybe, we have to stay calm.”

Ex-Liverpool and Atletico Madrid forward Maxi Rodriguez, who returned to the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in 2019 for a third stint, called on his compatriot to pick up the pace in coming home.

“I hope he comes at some point. It would be a dream for fans. There’s a family behind him and that can be tricky. But if he is coming, he’d better make it soon or else I won’t be able to play with him at Newell’s!” the 39-year-old joked.

Messi scored his 700th career goal on Tuesday in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid but witnessed his side handing the title initiative over to rivals Real Madrid with the third draw in the last four outings.

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La Liga to seek criminal action against pitch invader

MALLORCA, SPAIN - JUNE 13: A member of the public is dragged away by security guards after invading the pitch during the La Liga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Son Moix on June 13, 2020 in Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The fan, wearing an Argentina shirt with Messi’s name and number 10 on the back, breached strict security measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus by going onto the pitch early in the second half.

La Liga’s organising body has said it is filing for criminal action against the man who ran on to the pitch during Real Mallorca’s behind-closed-doors match against Barcelona on Saturday to try to get a photo with Lionel Messi.

The fan, wearing an Argentina shirt with Messi’s name and number 10 on the back, breached strict security measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus by going onto the pitch early in the second half.

A statement from La Liga on Sunday said the man accessed the pitch “without any authorisation and disobeying the protocols established by health legislation, as well as disobeying the orders of security staff”.

“La Liga also wishes to show its absolute condemnation for this type of conduct that puts the health of others at risk and risks damaging the integrity of the competition,” the statement added.

The fan, a French Mallorca resident, spoke to Spanish radio station Cadena Cope after being ejected by security personnel and police, revealing that he had scaled a two-metre fence to access the stadium.

“I had planned this ever since I knew the match was happening, I wanted a photo with Messi and to meet him because he’s my idol,” he said.

Mallorca said they were investigating how the fan had got into the stadium.

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Lionel Messi leads Barcelona to flying return against Mallorca

The win takes Barcelona on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.

Lionel Messi scored and grabbed two assists as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Real Mallorca on Saturday, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football’s three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The champions got off to a flying start when Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal scored with a diving header in the second minute, while Danish international Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barca later in the first half.

Jordi Alba then added a third goal for Barcelona in the 79th minute after latching on to a through ball from Messi, who had also set up Braithwaite’s goal with a header.

The Argentine then completed the scoring with a deflected strike in stoppage time, netting 20 league goals for the 12th season in a row.

The win takes Barcelona on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.

“We controlled the game and it was a great performance after not competing for three months,” goalscorer Alba said.

“We now have 10 must-win games to go and we are really looking forward to them.”

The game was played behind closed doors to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus, but a fan wearing an Argentina shirt somehow made it on to the pitch, only to be swiftly taken away by security guards.

Luis Suarez made his first appearance since injuring his knee six months ago, coming off the bench in the second half, while his fellow Uruguayan Ronald Araujo hit the post shortly before Alba struck.

Mallorca occupy the final relegation spot in La Liga but despite the heavy loss they gave a decent account of themselves, with 19-year-old Japanese playmaker Takefusa Kubo pulling the strings.

Kubo tested Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the first half while Ante Budimir, Lago Junior and Abdon Prats all flashed shots just wide of the target after the interval.