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Messi encouraged by Koeman but doubts return to glory: ´Neymar? There is no money´

SoccerNews in La Liga 27 Dec 2020

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Lionel Messi has been encouraged by Ronald Koeman’s impact since becoming Barcelona coach but feels the club is so financially crippled that “it will be difficult to get back where it was”.

Messi was speaking to La Sexta in one of his first interviews since telling the club of his desire to leave in August. 

Barca stood firm back then, refusing to allow him to depart despite Messi insisting the get-out clause in his contract was still valid – the Argentinian ultimately opted against pursuing the matter any further. 

Although he stayed put, Messi’s future and mindset have been constant sources of debate in the four months since. 

The highly publicised interview, which aired in full on Sunday, saw Messi vow not to decide on his future until the end of the season despite being able to discuss a free transfer with another club in less than a week. 

And while there are plenty of fans unimpressed by Koeman’s start with the club – they sit fifth after 14 games – Messi was complimentary about the Dutchman. 

“I think that with Ronald Koeman, he has projected a seriousness and an idea of what he wants for his team and what he wants for the club,” Messi said. 

“I think that it was a great success and that he is doing things very well. At the beginning it was difficult because there were a lot of new people, a lot of young players, but little by little the team is growing.” 

One aspect that some believe could count in Barca’s favour with respect to Messi’s future is the fact a new president will be in place by the end of January, with Joan Laporta the favourite to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu and take charge for a second time. 

But Messi certainly does not envy anyone stepping into such a position, given the state of Barca financially, and suggested fans should not get their hopes up about the prospect of Neymar returning. 

“For this [the club’s finances] it is a difficult time for the club, as it is everyone,” he continued. “But from what we know, the club is really bad [financially] – very bad. It will be difficult to get back where it was.

“It won’t be easy for the new president because they will find a very difficult situation at the club. It won’t be easy to turn it around. 

“I hope whoever wins [the election] does things well to put this great club where it deserves to be – and where it isn’t at the moment. 

“It will also be difficult to bring players because we need money and there is no money. There are several important players [required] to fight again for everything, and those players you have to pay them big money. 

“I was laughing because you said Neymar must be very expensive. And how do you pay PSG for that transfer?” 

Messi then also hit out once again at Barca’s “crazy” decision to let Luis Suarez leave to Atletico Madrid, whom he has helped to the top of LaLiga. 

“I had already decided [I wanted to leave] before that,” Messi mused.

“But it did seem crazy to me what they did with Luis, speaking in the specific case of Luis, because of how things were done, because of how he left, and because he left for free, paying him for the remaining years of his contract and giving him to a team that was going to fight for the same titles as us.”

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