Barcelona's current moment has sparked several rumors surrounding the team involving Argentinian striker Lionel Messi and Spanish coach Luis Enique, who have been pointed out to be having problems for quite some time now not only with Messi, but with several key players of Barca's golden era such as Xavi, Iniesta and Piqué.
Spanish newspaper Marca revealed an argument between the two during last Friday's training session that had to be stopped by Brazilian wingman Neymar. Apparently, Messi was angry at Luis Enrique for not calling a foul during the training match, and everything escalated up to the point where both were ready to throw punches. After this incident, Luis Enrique would have decided to bench Messi for Sunday's game against Real Sociedad, eventually giving the Argentinian some playing time. When the game ended, Messi supposedly argued with the team's psichologist, Joaquin Valdes, who is one of Luis Enrique's most trusted men among his coaching staff, fueling the harsh relationship between the Spanish boss and his player.
On Monday, Messi's absence from the training session revealed something was not right, but the club stated Messi was not available due to a stomach illness. The rumor mill has grown since then, and other sources indicate Luis Enrique would eventually leave the club to satisfy Lionel Messi's demands.
Today, Luis Enrique spoke about his current situation with the club, but refused to talk about his relationship with Messi or his reactions after not starting on Sunday.
"I feel supported by the club and by the players, since I have the same relationship with them as I did when the season started. I can feel the players are motivated for the second half of the season and I feel the same way. I will never discuss any particulars regarding my relationship with any of the players or their reactions after not starting a game. Whatever happens inside the team's locker room stays in the locker room. I will not confirm or dismiss anything," the coach stated.
Meanwhile, club President Josep Maria Bartomeu has called for elections this summer, even though he has one more year to serve as the team's boss. Bartomeu stated this decision will try to bring strength and stability for Los Blaugranas while he made it clear that even though Lionel Messi is a key player for them, he does not dictate what happens inside the club.
"We are in good terms with him. He's under contract, and we are happy to celebrate his commitment with the team. He is happy here, he's not the Messi from last year. He is willing to play, he shows ambition, the desire to win. Messi is one of the leaders of this team, but by no means he decides what we do or not. That's up to the Members Board," Bartomeu added.
In the middle of this controversy, the team will face Elche tomorrow for the Copa del Rey Round of 16. The winner of that series will face the winner of Madrid's derby between Atletico and Real Madrid.
