ANGER, ANGST & OPTIMISM

Everyone’s got an opinion on Messi’s situation – but only he can decide his fate

RONALD KOEMAN

“From day one, Leo has trained and played well, and given the maximum for the club, for his team and for his team- mates. I have had no complaints about him on any day. There’s no debate: for me, he has always been the best player in the world. I thought it before from the outside, and I think it even more now I’m working with him.”

GERARD PIQUE

“I ask myself, ‘ How can it be that the best player to have played the game, who we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy, wakes up one morning and sends a burofax because he feels like he’s not being listened to?’ He deserves everything, and the new ground should be named after him. We must preserve our figureheads, not underappreciate them. It really gets to me.”

LUIS SUAREZ

“Out of respect for my relationship with Leo, I’m not going to reveal what we talked about, but he lived through a difficult and complicated situation [ in the summer]. He wanted to leave Barça and the club did not want him to. I think they wanted to get me away from Messi’s side – maybe it bothered them that I’ve got a good relationship with Leo.”

PABLO ZABALETA

“From the outset, I was surprised that he wanted to leave Barça. It was hard to understand that he tried to leave the club of his life, although I didn’t know his reasons; how he was feeling. If Messi wants to leave, he deserves a different farewell. Not like this time, after losing 8- 2 to Bayern. Messi is a one- club man – but if one day he goes, it had better be to Man City!”

JAVIER TEBAS

“We’ve been so lucky to enjoy him for so many years, but Messi should think very carefully about what he does next. If Messi left Barcelona, that reputation he has now and that has worked so well for him would be really damaged. It’s true he could get a better offer financially, but the reputation he has built after more than 20 years, I think he has to hold onto that.”

GUILLEM BALAGUE

“He will have time to decide about his future after the presidential elections, but I’m convinced that if they go the way Messi wants, he will stay. Koeman went over to Messi’s house after he was appointed and they spoke for a while. Messi was impressed by what his new manager had to say, but he has got to shake his feelings off now and focus on Barça.”