Luis Enrique has tipped Barcelona to ‘continue winning without Lionel Messi,’ while predicting the GOAT will leave the club at some point.
Messi had been trying to force Barcelona to terminate his contract and let him leave throughout the entire summer but to no avail.
Instead, the president Josep Maria Bartomeu has successfully managed to undermine the Argentinean’s efforts to quit Camp Nou.
The controversial Barca chief has got support from La Liga to dispute Messi’s request to leave on his terms.
With the Catalans insisting on a €700m buyout clause, the 33-year-old’s move away from the club became a mission impossible.
Despite throwing harsh words on Bartomeu and La Liga, Messi has decided to see out his contract and leave once and for all next summer.
Now, Luis Enrique, who coached the six-time Ballon d’Or winner for three years, has offered his view of the whole situation surrounding the best player on the planet.
“I don’t know whether to pronounce on Messi… but I’m going to do it,” Enrique said during Spain-Ukraine pre-match conference [via Goal].
“I think the clubs are above all people, players, and presidents. Barcelona, founded in 1899, is one of the best in the world. They have always won titles.
“It is evident that there has been a wonderful relationship. Leo has made Barca grow exponentially, but I would have liked it if a much more friendly agreement had been reached.
“Sooner or later, Messi will stop playing at Barca. Barcelona will continue to win titles without Messi, and Messi will continue to be a wonderful footballer.”
During his tenure at Barcelona, the 50-year-old currently in charge of the Spain national team led the team to a remarkable ‘treble’ in 2014/15.
Accompanied by the likes of Luis Suarez and Neymar, Messi was instrumental to Enrique’s trophy-laden era at Camp Nou.
The two, however, parted ways on bad terms, having been involved in a series of off-field altercations.
It’s, therefore, not strange that Enrique opted to overlook Messi when quizzed to name the favorite player he guided from the dugout.
“I’m not a fetishist at all,” the Spaniard added. “I will say that I have trained a lot of players, better or worse, but that I have tried to make them better.
“If I had to say one, I would say that I trained Nolito. I had a wonderful time. He left Second Division with me, and he’s a very funny guy.”
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