"Barcelona" superstar Lionel Messi finally responded to the rumors.
Immediately after the match with Madrid "Atletico," the Catalonia team's forward was interviewed by journalists and did not beat around the bush, stating that "recently there has been a lot of nonsense written about him and his alleged strong influence in the club."
Various sports publications in Catalonia and internet portals reported that L. Messi presented an ultimatum to the club's leaders and demanded the immediate dismissal of the head coach Luis Enrique. Furthermore, it was said that the Argentine even threatened to leave the "Barcelona" club if his demands were not met.
Journalists even claimed that due to disagreements with the Argentine, "Barca" had been left by Pep Guardiola, Bojan Krkic, Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and other team members.
"I know and have heard everything that has been written about me. People are wasting their time trying to create nonsensical news that I disagree with the head coach Luis Enrique, that several former footballers left the club because of me. What saddens me the most is that this information is being spread from Barcelona, not Madrid as it used to be. They are trying to make me some sort of club leader who makes all decisions. It's all nonsense. I have never demanded the coach's dismissal because I have no right to do so. I do not make decisions and I am not in any way involved in the club's management. I am just one of the team players" - said L. Messi.
The Argentine dismissed journalists' rumors about a possible move to another team.
According to some portals, London's "Chelsea" and "Manchester City" teams were mentioned as the main contenders to acquire the forward, with the "aristocrats" even allegedly considering paying the full amount of the Argentine's buyout clause - 250 million euros.
"I did not give any ultimatums or set any conditions for the 'Barcelona' leaders. Simply because I have no desires and do not intend to move to another team. I heard people say that my father has already made contact with 'Chelsea.' This is an absurd lie. I want to simply and clearly say that neither I nor my father have spoken to representatives of 'Chelsea' or 'Manchester City'," - emphasized the Argentine.
His teammate from the national team, Javier Mascherano, agreed, saying, "It's very easy to write some information and add that it is supposedly news from the team's locker room. I think journalists should look more responsibly into such matters. If no specific source is mentioned in the article, lawsuits begin. Then everyone talks more about rumors than about football."
Barcelona player Andres Iniesta also denied the rumors.
"It was written that there was a meeting of team captains with Lionel, where conflicts within the team were discussed. This is complete nonsense. Such a meeting did not take place for a very simple reason - we simply did not need to discuss any conflicts. I understand very well that the best response to all the rumors is the team's performance on the field. Only victories can silence the spreaders of rumors," - the midfielder did not spare harsh words for journalists.
fcbarcelona.lt
