'He's the best in history, doors are always open for him at Barcelona,' says Xavi on Lionel Messi
'Doors are always open for Lionel Messi,' says Barcelona manager Xavi
Doors will always be open at the club for the former Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, current manager Xavi Hernandez said ahead of the side’s second-leg round-of-16 match against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League. Speaking highly of Messi, who is also regarded as the greatest ever to grace the game by many, Xavi said he is in permanent contact with the Argentinean, and that Camp Nou was and will always remain Messi’s home. Remaining tight-lipped on if he had spoken with Messi about a potential return to his former club, Xavi said it is for Messi to decide his future but at the same time hasn’t ruled out this becoming a reality.
"This is his home and the doors are open to him. There is no doubt about it. He is a friend, we are in permanent contact. It will depend a lot on him, on what he wants to do in his future, on what the club wants to do as well," Xavi said aboutLionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Messi left FC Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, after spending good 21years at the club where he achieved unparalleled success in addition to winning seven Ballon d’Or titles – considered to be the greatest individual prize in football.
When asked if the recently-crowned World Cup winner be able to fit in the current squad, Xavi said a player of Messi’s stature could fit in any squad.
"He is the best in the world and in history; he would always fit in," Xavi added.
Plying his trade in France at the moment, Messi’s PSG is currently leading the points table in Ligue 1 while they trail 0-1 against Bayern Munich in their round-of-16 clash in the Champions League with the second leg scheduled to take place at Allianz Arena on Thursday, March 9th.
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Xavi’s Barcelona ready to take down United in away fixture
Having played a 2-2 draw at home in the first leg, Barcelona will take on the spirited Manchester United in an away clash on Wednesday at Old Trafford. United, who are cruising ahead with some stunning spells on the football pitch lately, will be a tougher challenge for the traveling Barcelona said, Xavi reckons. Hailing Manchester United’s current side as one of the best in Europe at the moment, Xavi opined for Barcelona to beat them at their home, they need to show both mentality and character.
"It's a very difficult game. Manchester United is one of the best teams in Europe. On many levels they are the best United have been in recent years. At Camp Nou, they showed a lot of personality, a lot of character, a lot of pace. We need the mentality to win a big game in Europe," said Xavi. "It's a perfect occasion to show that Barcelona can compete against one of the big teams in Europe. It's a very good opportunity. It's a test; every game for Barcelona is a test, this one with more emphasis.”
