BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects Lionel Messi to remain with the club “for many years” amid widespread reports of a rift between the pair.
Messi was said to be unhappy with Luis Enrique’s management style and tactics, prompting speculation he could seek an exit and reportedly sparking interest from English Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester City and Man-United.
The Argentina forward has said he is not planning to leave the club he joined as a 13-year-old but has not explicitly denied claims he has fallen out with the coach, who took over from Gerardo Martino at the end of last season.
Given the four-times World Player of the Year’s influence at Barca, it is widely expected that Luis Enrique will be the one to leave, particularly as the man who appointed him, sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, was sacked this month.
“We all think — and he has expressed the same thing several times — that Leo is going to stay at Barca for many years,” Luis Enrique told a news conference.(AFP)
