Barcelona's apparent crisis, Messi and Luis Enrique's rivalry, and rumors of a move to the English Premier League for the superstar Argentine have been dominating the news for the last week or so.
After benching Messi for the Catalan giants' away clash with David Moyes' Real Sociedad, a game which the Blaugrana lost 1-0, Leo has continously been linked with a switch to the English Premier League to join either Chelsea or Manchester City, with Stamford Bridge heavily tipped as his next destination.
Rumors claim he and Luis Enrique have hit a point in their relationship where one must leave Camp Nou for the other to remain. Some go as far as to suggest the Barcelona superstar and manager even had a tense verbal confrontation, further escalating rumors of a rift.
However, the 27-year-old Argentine has now spoken up about the topic, and has vented his frustration over what he claims are falsified stories. According to Messi, there is no rivalry between him and the Asturian coach, whilst also confessing he has no intentions of leaving the Liga BBVA heavyweights.
"I never demanded anything to stay, as I have no intention of leaving," said Messi. "It is not good to look for rivalry between Luis Enrique and me, because there is none.
"We must be more united than ever. They should not throw sh*t at us. We just want to achieve things for the club.
"I never demanded anything to stay, as I have no intention of leaving.
"It is said that my father spoke with Man City, with Chelsea. It's all lies, it's all lies."
With the Ballon d'Or set to take place on Monday, January 12, much hype surrounds Messi and his fellow two finalists, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer. La Pulga, a four-time winner, however remains calm over the proceedings in Zurich, claiming to have full confidence in Monday's decision, no matter the outcome.
The Argentine said: "Whoever wins the Ballon d'Or will deserve it, whether it is Neuer or Cristiano, who had incredible year."
