I will not take a penalty, says Mascherano

Javier Mascherano is not concerned by his goal drought and insists he refuses to take a penalty just to break it. 

Mascherano has not scored a goal for Barcelona in over 200 competitive appearances since joining the club in 2010.

The Argentina international has not found the net in club football since March 2008 when he was playing for Liverpool in a 2-1 Premier League win over Reading.

Barca team-mate Gerard Pique said Mascherano refused to take a penalty in the side’s 5-1 win over Rayo Vallecano last week, in which Luis Suarez stood up instead and missed.

“We told Mascherano to take the penalty kick but he did not have the confidence or has not wanted to shoot, but I asked,” Pique said on Periscope.

But Mascherano says scoring his first Barca goal would not change anything. 

“I have surpassed [Michael] Reiziger’s record [of years without a goal at the club] by far,” he told TV3.

“I do not obsess myself over it. A goal will not change my life at all.

“Will I take a penalty? No chance at all.”