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Tag: Messi

  • We’re all waiting for Messi to renew – Pique

    We’re all waiting for Messi to renew – Pique

    Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is quietly confident of Lionel Messi signing his new contract and staying.

    The Catalan is keen to see the No.10 stay on at the Camp Nou for the 2021/22 season, despite his contract having expired at the end of June.

    “We’re waiting for him to sign the renewal and to have him with us,” Pique said.

    “I hope he’s convinced.”

    Barcelona had a disastrous start to the 2020/21 season, which ultimately proved to be their downfall as they mounted an unlikely comeback in the title race, only to fall short in the final weeks of the season.

    With LaLiga Santander being described as the “foundation for the rest of the season”, Pique is hungry for a strong start domestically.

    “I’m going into this season with the same enthusiasm as my first,” Pique said.

    “We must try to start well. Generally, when we win league titles, it’s because we pick up a good rhythm from the start and pull clear, or we build up a lead and maintain it.

    “We’ll try to do the same and hope that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid don’t do what they did last year.”

  • Messi, Aguero and I can play in same Barca attack – Depay

    Messi, Aguero and I can play in same Barca attack – Depay

    Memphis Depay is counting on Lionel Messi signing a new contract with Barcelona.

    Speaking with Sport, Memphis made clear he was counting on Messi staying this season.

    He said: “Playing with Messi would be incredible. I hope it is possible. He has qualities that the team needs and it is important that we build something around him. This squad houses a lot of talent.”

    Depay thinks an attacking trio with Messi and Sergio Aguero is a realistic option.

    “There are a lot of attackers in the squad, but in my opinion we are different. I have my qualities and strengths and they differ from, say, Aguero, or any player for that matter. I think all three of us can play together, but let’s see how things go.”

    Memphis also spoke of his relationship with coach Ronald Koeman.

    He stated: “He was very important to me in important years of my career. He made a change at the Dutch national team, counted on me and gave me confidence. And now he counts on me in this adventure. With Koeman it is easier for me to adapt. I know what he expects of me, we’ve been working together for years. But even then I will have to give everything, it will not be easy. Without Koeman it would have been different anyway.”

  • La Liga: Messi has to stay with Barca – Ronaldinho

    La Liga: Messi has to stay with Barca – Ronaldinho

    Ronaldinho is confident Lionel Messi will be staying with Barcelona.

    The No.10 has reached an agreement to renew his contract at Barcelona, although the club are yet to announce it.

    The situation has a lot of Barcelona supporters concerned and even Messi’s former teammate Ronaldinho is eagerly awaiting the news that he has signed a new deal at the club.

    “Messi has to stay,” Ronaldinho told TuttoMercato.

    “When he retires, which I hope is a long time from now, he can leave his No.10 behind and nobody will play with it again.”

    Messi and Ronaldinho played alongside one another in the former’s early playing days.

  • Messi will always have a role in my team – Sergio Ramos

    Messi will always have a role in my team – Sergio Ramos

    Sergio Ramos boasts strong ties to Real Madrid, but they have now been severed after 16 years and the Paris Saint-Germain new boy is able to admit that Barcelona superstar “Lionel Messi will always have a role in my team”.

    A veteran Spain international defender spent many seasons locking horns with an Argentine forward in La Liga, with his role as Blancos captain preventing him from lauding the efforts of a Clasico rival.

    Ramos is, however, taking on a new challenge in France and, after seeing Messi linked with PSG amid the uncertainty surrounding his expired contract, the 35-year-old admits to being a big fan of a six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

    “I like to play with the best players and Messi has been one of the best in the world,” Ramos has told TNT Sports.

    “I have always said that Messi will always have a role in my team.”

  • Messi accepts 50% wage cut, to sign new five-year Barcelona contract

    Messi accepts 50% wage cut, to sign new five-year Barcelona contract

    Lionel Messi will sign a new five-year contract at Barcelona and take an incredible 50 per cent wage cut, Goal can confirm.

    Messi has spent his entire career to date on Barca’s books, having initially made his debut for the club as a teenager in 2004, but dropped into the free agency pool at the start of July after reaching the end of his contract.

    The Argentine won’t be embarking on a new challenge away from Camp Nou anytime soon, though, with the Blaugrana set to announce that they have tied the six-time Ballon d’Or winner down to a fresh long-term deal.

    Messi earned a staggering €550 million (£468m/$650m) over the course of his last five-year contract at Camp Nou, which equates to around €75m (£64m/$89m) per season.

    However, Barca were unable to hand the 34-year-old similarly lucrative renewal terms after exceeding La Liga’s wage limit at the end of the 2020-21 campaign .

    League president Javier Tebas warned that the Blaugrana could not legally register Messi without significantly reducing their salary costs, with the likes of Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Alena and Juan Miranda all subsequently sold to raise extra funds.

    Messi has also agreed to halve his yearly earnings in order to re-sign for Barca, and Goal has learned that they will formally announce his new contract in the coming weeks after a few minor details are finalised.

  • Messi for Ballon d’Or ahead of Chelsea star – Barca legend

    Messi for Ballon d’Or ahead of Chelsea star – Barca legend

    Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov believes Lionel Messi is in line to win the Ballon d’Or again.

    Speaking with TMW, Stoichkov was asked about the prospects of Chelsea’s Italy midfielder Jorginho.

    He replied: “Who can win this year? Jorginho has had a super season, but for the Ballon d’Or I don’t know if he can. Messì is there and cannot be ignored. A great season in Barcelona, with the Copa del Rey, and then the Copa America, which he had never won, won as a driver.

    “Another is (Robert) Lewandowski: last year was unfair to cancel the prize, France Football had to reward him. And then there’s (Gigio) Donnarumma, the best goalkeeper in the European Championship ”

    Asked if a goalkeeper could win, the Bulgarian added: “I don’t know, but he had an extraordinary season, not only for the penalties with Spain and England. After so many years of (Gigi) Buffon, you have found another great Gigi who will make you feel calm for a long time.”

  • Messi on Copa America glory: No better moment than this

    Messi on Copa America glory: No better moment than this

    Barcelona captain Leo Messi is full of pride after leading Argentina to the Copa America final triumph.

    Messi finally celebrated winning a major title with his country 16 years after his first cap after Angel Di Maria’s first half lob secured a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Brazil in the final at the Maracana.

    An international trophy had for a long time been the only trophy left to win for the 34-year-old icon after suffering final heartache in three previous Copa Americas and the 2014 World Cup.

    Messi told TyC Sports: “The truth is that this is crazy. There would be no better moment than this. The happiness is immense, I knew that at some point it was going to happen. The happiness I feel right now indescribable.

    “After the last Copa I told these players that they will be the future of the National Team. I was not mistaken, and now today we are champions.

    “I had a lot of confidence in this group, which has grown in strength since the last Copa America. They are a group of very good people, who advance and do not complain.

    “I’m very happy! I dreamed about this many times.”

  • Argentina beat Brazil for Copa America, Messi wins first title

    Argentina beat Brazil for Copa America, Messi wins first title

    Argentina ended their 28-year title drought on Saturday when an Angel Di Maria goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil for a record-equalling 15th Copa America.

    The victory was a particular triumph for Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who picked up his first ever title in a blue and white shirt after more than a decade of club and individual honours.

    Messi finished the tournament’s joint top goalscorer with four goals and was elected joint best player along with Neymar.

    But he was quiet throughout and uncharacteristically missed a golden opportunity to wrap the game up with two minutes remaining.

    When the final whistle went, Argentina TV declared “Argentina Champions, Lionel Messi Champion!”

    The victory was Argentina’s 15th Copa America triumph and means they draw level with Uruguay as the all-time leading winners.

    Their win extended their sequence of undefeated matches to 20 under Lionel Scaloni and handed Brazil their first competitive defeat since they lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

    Di Maria started for just the second time in the Copa and he justified his selection by scoring the opener midway through the first half.

    Renan Lodi failed to cut out a long ball forward from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria lobbed the stranded Ederson with aplomb.

    Brazil piled on the pressure in an exciting second half but even with five strikers on the field they could not get an equaliser against an Argentine defence protected by the outstanding Rodrigo De Paul.

  • Messi contract is going to be tough – Barca chief

    Messi contract is going to be tough – Barca chief

    New Barcelona sports chief Jordi Cruyff admits securing Leo Messi to a new contract “will be tough”.

    Barca must juggle their finances due to LaLiga wage cap rules.

    Jordi told Marca: “It’s difficult to give an opinion as an outsider, and I haven’t started working for the club yet”. He added that “the rules of Spanish football are clear.

    “Before tying Messi down to a new deal, we need to put in a lot of ground work and it’s going to be tough.

    “The good news is that he hasn’t signed for any other club, and this proves that he genuinely wants to stay at Barça.”

  • Neymar desperate to beat close friend Messi in Copa America final

    Neymar desperate to beat close friend Messi in Copa America final

    Neymar will be putting his friendship with former FC Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi aside as he chases his first Copa America title with Brazil in Saturday’s final.

    Brazil take on Argentina in the decider at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, with both players pursuing their first-ever continental crowns.

    Messi’s Argentina have not won the Copa since 1993, while injury meant Neymar was not part of the Brazil squad which triumphed in 2019.

    The pair have a close friendship from Neymar’s four years in Barcelona, while they have both dominated this Copa.

    Messi leads the Copa with four goals and five assists, while Neymar has contributed two goals and three assists for hosts Brazil.

    “Messi is, as I’ve always said, the best player I’ve ever seen play and he’s a great friend,” Neymar said.

    “But now we’re in a final, we’re rivals. I want to win and I really want to win this title, which will be my first Copa America.

    “Messi has been looking for his first title with the national team for many years, and every time we [Brazil] are not present at the tournament, I cheered for him.

    “That’s what I’ve been cheering for in the 2014 World Cup final, when he faced Germany.

    “Now Brazil is in the dispute, so our friendship is on the line [laughs]. The respect between us in still great but only one can win.”

    He added: “When you’re friends with someone, it’s hard to forget the friendship you have… but for example when you play video games with a friend, you want to beat him anyway. It’ll be the same thing on Saturday.”

    Neymar also hit out on Instagram about Brazilian fans who have turned on the national team and opted to support rivals Argentina.

    “I’m Brazilian with a lot of pride, with a lot of love. My dream was always to be in the Brazilian national team and hear the fans singing,” he wrote.

    “I’ve never supported or will support against anything Brazil is competing for, whatever the sport or modelling contest.”

    Brazil are chasing their 10th Copa title, while Argentina are looking to end their 28-year wait to add to their 14 continental crowns.

    Argentina have won five games in a row, including their semi-final victory over Colombia, and are unbeaten across their past 19 games.

    Brazil are undefeated in their past 13 games and have only conceded two goals at Copa America 2021.