In the wake of another disappointing Champions League exit, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has urged Lionel Messi to remain at the club, despite failing to progress to the next round.
Barcelona failed to make the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years on Wednesday, after they fell 5 – 2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi scored a thunderous long-range effort in the 1 – 1 draw with Mauricio Pochettino’s side as the Los Blaugranas bowed out of Europe’s elite competition and speculations about his future has remained a major talking point in recent months.
The 33-year-old is reportedly approaching the final three months in his contract, and in spite of the club’s ouster from the competition, Koeman has insisted that Messi is aware of what the future at Barcelona holds.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference after Wednesday’s game, Koeman said: “Messi must decide his own future, nobody can help him with this. He’s seen for a long time now that the team is going in the right direction.
“And with the changes we’ve made and the youngsters who are only going to improve, he can’t have doubts about the future of this team. Everyone can be proud, including our president. We’ve shown our face and from the first to the last second we saw a team that wanted to win this tie.”
Messi has been on the radar of top European sides like Manchester City and PSG over a possible deal.
Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting the Argentina international could be staying at the club after Joan Laporta was re-elected into office on Sunday.
The Barcelona chief, who happens to be a huge fan of Messi, would be overseeing a second spell at the Catalan club, having been at the helm between 2003 – 2010.
