La Liga giants Barcelona are in turmoil, no doubt about that. A two-transfer window ban has been imposed on the club; its appeal dismissed by the CAS, forcing Josep Bartomeu to decide on boycotting the Ballon d’Or ceremony on January 12.
Andoni Zubizarreta, the club’s former sporting director, was sacked last week, which evidently resulted in Carles Puyol resigning as the assistant sporting director.
Then there is the Messi-Luis Enrique issue. Rumors of a rift between player and coach had emerged early on in the season, but after the Blaugrana boss benched the Argentine in the 1-0 loss away to Real Sociedad, the rumors hit overdrive.
Reports are their relationship has reached a point where one must go for the other to stay, with the Asturian coach giving Barcelona an ultimatum, an outcome previously discussed here on Live Soccer TV.
This has led to suggestions that the four-time Ballon d’Or winner is seeking a new club, as he grows frustrated with life at Camp Nou. Reports favor a switch to Chelsea to join close friend and former team-mate Cesc Fabregas, though the Blues’ assistant coach Steven Holland ruled out a move for Messi as “impossible” due to FFP rules.
However, as reported by Spain's TV3 show Esports Club (per Goal), Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has promised Messi after the pair met on Friday that Luis Enrique will be sacked after Sunday's encounter with defending champions Atletico Madrid.
Furthermore, it is believed that La Pulga has gone as far as to request the Catalan giants hire former boss Frank Rijkaard, who handed Messi his Barcelona debut back in 2004, as Enrique’s replacement.
Given Messi’s importance to the squad, the Albiceleste captain holds significant influence over the Barcelona board. This was something former boss and current Argentina national team coach Tata Martino fell victim to, with claims he even admitted to Messi that a single phone call from the 27-year-old could have had him fired during his spell at Camp Nou.
