Barcelona: Xavi reveals he spoke to Messi after PSG’s UCL exit

The Barcelona boss maintains a close friendship with his former teammate.

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a painful 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League clash on Wednesday. Lionel Messi displayed yet another poor performance in PSG’s jersey while the Parisians’ star-studded squad failed to get past the Blancos.

The Argentine icon’s former teammate Xavi Hernandez reveals he has spoken to Messi after the defeat.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s match against Osasuna, the Barca manager said: “I have a friendship with Messi, and I sent him some simple encouragement and nothing else.

“It is part of football. When it seemed like it was going well for PSG, Real Madrid showed up and turned it around.”

“The Champions League is like that. When you lower your intensity, your rival can get past you.”

ExpressVPN — Go further with the #1 trusted leader in VPN

It was the fourth occasion that Messi suffered a comeback in the Champions League. While playing for Barcelona, the Argentine icon saw his side undergoing similar defeats against Juventus, Roma, and Liverpool.

In recent days, reports of Messi’s potential return to Barca have started emerging again. Nothing is confirmed by reliable sources yet. However, Messi’s friendship with Xavi will most likely affect a possible decision on his future.

For now, Messi must prepare to play for PSG against Bordeaux on Sunday while Barca face Osasuna on the same day.