Thursday, March 28, 2024

Barca´s Messi heads to Beijing

SoccerNews in La Liga 30 Jul 2008

97 Views

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi says he will defy his Spanish club's orders and join up with Argentina's Olympic squad this week.

The Argentina international has been at the centre of a tug of war between club and country with Barcelona trying to retain him for their Champions League qualifyier tie in August.

Messi, speaking before a FIFA judge declared that clubs were under an obligation to release their under-23 players for Beijing, said: “If FIFA say I should be there then I'll go without waiting for CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) ruling.”

Barca have announced they will contest FIFA's ruling to CAS.

Messi added: “If CAS say that I have to return then I'll come back but for the moment I want to be with my country and my teammates.”

The player has until Friday to link up with coach Sergio Batista's Argentina's Olympic squad in training in Japan.

Messi's stance was backed by the FIFA-appointed judge's ruling confirming clubs were obliged to release players aged 23 for the Olympics.

A statement issued by world football's governing body FIFA confirmed the judge of the Players' Status Committee, Slim Aloulou, agreed with FIFA's previous ruling that it was “mandatory” for players to be released for Olympic duty.

The judge was called to rule on the matter after Werder Bremen, Schalke and Barcelona questioned FIFA's stance as the Olympics do not appear on FIFA's official calendar.

Bremen and Schalke are unhappy with the inclusions of Diego and Rafinha, respectively, in the Brazil squad.

CAS will now have the final say on the matter after Bremen, Schalke and Barca filed complaints.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top