Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. 
 
The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to &quot;express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks.&quot; 
 
Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. 
 
&quot;We want Leo to know that he is not alone,&quot; the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). &quot;All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate.&quot; 
 
Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: &quot;Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We&rsquo;ll defend you to the end. Together forever!&quot; 
 
A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. 
 
Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. 
 
It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. 
 
Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country&#39;s loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. 
 
It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 
 
(Reuters)

Under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, the campaign asks Barcelona fans to voice their support 'for the greatest footballer in the world'

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to "express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks." Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. "We want Leo to know that he is not alone," the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). "All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate." Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: "Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We’ll defend you to the end. Together forever!" A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country's loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (Reuters)

Barcelona launch campaign backing sentenced Messi

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. 
 
Early Career 
 
* Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp.&nbsp; 
 
* Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final.&nbsp; 
 
* Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards.&nbsp; 
 
* Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.&nbsp; 
 
* Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another.&nbsp; 
 
* Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year.&nbsp; 
 
* He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals.&nbsp; 
 
* Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp; 
 
* Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles.&nbsp; 
 
* Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16&nbsp; 
 
Argentina 
 
* Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt.&nbsp; 
 
* Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout.&nbsp; 
 
* Led Argentina to &nbsp;Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 
 
* Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa.&nbsp; 
 
* After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. 
 
* Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. 
 
* Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in 
Chicago. 
 
* Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. 
 
* Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. 
 
(Reuters)

Messi led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Early Career * Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003. * Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp. * Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final. * Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup. * Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards. * Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. * Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another. * Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup. * While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year. * He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals. * Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo. * Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles. * Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16 Argentina * Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final. * Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt. * Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout. * Led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. * Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa. * After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. * Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. * Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in Chicago. * Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. * Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi: A peek into the career of La Pulga

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. 
 
&quot;For me the national team is over. I&#39;ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,&quot; the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. 
 
Lionel&#39;s Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. 
 
It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year&#39;s Copa America title was their first. 
Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina&#39;s trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s tough, it`s not the time for analysis,&quot; he said. &quot;In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it&#39;s not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it.&quot; 
 
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. 
 
Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not easy to explain what happened,&quot; said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. &quot;Argentina should have won that game. It hurts.&quot; 
 
Disappointing final 
The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. 
 
The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile&#39;s Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina&#39;s Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. 
 
Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. 
 
The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. 
 
The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. 
 
Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina&#39;s top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. 
 
The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

Lionel announces he's leaving after losing to Chile in the Copa final, his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. "For me the national team is over. I've done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion," the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. Lionel's Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year's Copa America title was their first. Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina's trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer. "It's tough, it`s not the time for analysis," he said. "In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it's not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it." The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. "It's not easy to explain what happened," said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. "Argentina should have won that game. It hurts." Disappointing final The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile's Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina's Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. (AFP and Reuters)

Messi says it's over, retires from international football

Lionel Messi scored a record-equalling 54th international goal as Argentina outclassed Venezuela 4-1 to book their place in the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. 
 
The Barcelona superstar scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute at the Gillette Stadium to equal Gabriel Batistuta&#39;s long-time Argentina international goalscoring record. 
 
Messi also created a goal for Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice, and second half substitute Erik Lamela as Argentina set up a semi-final against the United States in Houston on Tuesday. 
 
Afterwards Messi played down his goalscoring milestone. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy for what it means and it&#39;s nice to be next to &#39;Batigol&#39; (Batistuta), but for me tonight the most important thing is the result,&quot; Messi said. 
 
Messi is determined to lead Argentina to their first trophy in 23 years after a series of agonizing near-misses which include defeats in the finals of last year&#39;s Copa America and the 2014 World Cup final. 
 
&quot;I think people sometimes overlook that we got to two finals, and only focus on the fact that we lost,&quot; Messi said. 
 
&quot;For us to be back in another semi-final of a big tournament like this one is a great achievement for these players.&quot; 
 
Inspirational display 
 
Few would bet against Messi achieving his goal after an inspirational display that left Venezuela chasing shadows in the early part of Saturday&#39;s quarter-final. 
 
Messi&#39;s genius created the opening goal after eight minutes, with the playmaker lofting a sublime curling pass to pick out Higuain&#39;s run into the area. 
 
Napoli forward Higuain still had plenty to do but skillfully directed a first time strike past Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez for a wonderful goal. 
 
Argentina remained firmly in control but were jolted in the 27th minute when Nicolas Gaitan picked up a needless yellow card for a kick on Alexander Gonzalez that will see him suspended for the semi-final. 
 
Argentina&#39;s dominance clearly had Venezuela rattled, and the Vinotinto&#39;s defensive unease led to the next goal. 
 
A slack backpass from Arquimedes Figuera went straight to Higuain in space, and the striker coolly rounded Hernandez to stroke home his second of the night to make it 2-0 after 29 minutes. 
 
But just when it looked as if the floodgates would open, Venezuela rallied impressively and had Argentina rocking with a series of chances. 
 
Rondon threat 
 
West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon forced a save from Sergio Romero and hit the woodwork in quick succession. 
 
Romero was left scrambling to save once again just before half-time, when fullback Rolf Feltscher&#39;s long-range shot deflected off Gabriel Mercado and looped up and over the Argentina keeper. 
 
Venezuela looked to have a justifiable claim for a penalty when Higuain brought down Josef Martinez in the box but Mexican referee Roberto Garcia was unmoved. 
 
Seconds later though Garcia was pointing to the spot after Romero clumsily bundled over Martinez for a clear penalty. 
 
But Venezuela&#39;s pressure went unrewarded when Luis Manuel Seijas tried a risky &quot;Panenka&quot; down the middle which Romero read and gathered with ease. 
 
Venezuela were unable to renew their period of pressure in the second half, and Messi effectively put the contest to bed with his record-equalling goal in the 60th minute, which came after Argentina pressed high to force a turnover. 
 
Gaitan won the tackle and passed to Messi, who quickly played a one-two with the Benfica winger before poking his finish between Hernandez&#39;s legs. 
 
Rondon pulled a goal back with a header in the 70th minute, but Messi&#39;s response was instant, threading a pass to Lamela whose shot crept in at Hernandez&#39;s near post. 
(AFP)

Messi seems determined to lead Argentina to its first trophy in 23 years after a series of misses

Lionel Messi scored a record-equalling 54th international goal as Argentina outclassed Venezuela 4-1 to book their place in the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. The Barcelona superstar scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute at the Gillette Stadium to equal Gabriel Batistuta's long-time Argentina international goalscoring record. Messi also created a goal for Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice, and second half substitute Erik Lamela as Argentina set up a semi-final against the United States in Houston on Tuesday. Afterwards Messi played down his goalscoring milestone. "I'm happy for what it means and it's nice to be next to 'Batigol' (Batistuta), but for me tonight the most important thing is the result," Messi said. Messi is determined to lead Argentina to their first trophy in 23 years after a series of agonizing near-misses which include defeats in the finals of last year's Copa America and the 2014 World Cup final. "I think people sometimes overlook that we got to two finals, and only focus on the fact that we lost," Messi said. "For us to be back in another semi-final of a big tournament like this one is a great achievement for these players." Inspirational display Few would bet against Messi achieving his goal after an inspirational display that left Venezuela chasing shadows in the early part of Saturday's quarter-final. Messi's genius created the opening goal after eight minutes, with the playmaker lofting a sublime curling pass to pick out Higuain's run into the area. Napoli forward Higuain still had plenty to do but skillfully directed a first time strike past Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez for a wonderful goal. Argentina remained firmly in control but were jolted in the 27th minute when Nicolas Gaitan picked up a needless yellow card for a kick on Alexander Gonzalez that will see him suspended for the semi-final. Argentina's dominance clearly had Venezuela rattled, and the Vinotinto's defensive unease led to the next goal. A slack backpass from Arquimedes Figuera went straight to Higuain in space, and the striker coolly rounded Hernandez to stroke home his second of the night to make it 2-0 after 29 minutes. But just when it looked as if the floodgates would open, Venezuela rallied impressively and had Argentina rocking with a series of chances. Rondon threat West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon forced a save from Sergio Romero and hit the woodwork in quick succession. Romero was left scrambling to save once again just before half-time, when fullback Rolf Feltscher's long-range shot deflected off Gabriel Mercado and looped up and over the Argentina keeper. Venezuela looked to have a justifiable claim for a penalty when Higuain brought down Josef Martinez in the box but Mexican referee Roberto Garcia was unmoved. Seconds later though Garcia was pointing to the spot after Romero clumsily bundled over Martinez for a clear penalty. But Venezuela's pressure went unrewarded when Luis Manuel Seijas tried a risky "Panenka" down the middle which Romero read and gathered with ease. Venezuela were unable to renew their period of pressure in the second half, and Messi effectively put the contest to bed with his record-equalling goal in the 60th minute, which came after Argentina pressed high to force a turnover. Gaitan won the tackle and passed to Messi, who quickly played a one-two with the Benfica winger before poking his finish between Hernandez's legs. Rondon pulled a goal back with a header in the 70th minute, but Messi's response was instant, threading a pass to Lamela whose shot crept in at Hernandez's near post. (AFP)

Messi scores record goal as Argentina thrash Venezuela

Argentina&rsquo;s new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month&rsquo;s South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers. 
 
Bauza was named yesterday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi&rsquo;s side to two successive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile. 
 
The more recent of those results in the Copa America Centenario in the United States in June led to Messi deciding to quit the team. It was his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. 
 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m optimistic about Messi,&rdquo; Bauza said. &ldquo;I hope the chat with him will help for him to carry on in the national team. I want to explain to Messi what my (tactical) idea is. The least of my worries is his position on the pitch,&rdquo; Bauza was quoted as saying in the Argentine daily La Nacion today. 
 
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no need to convince Messi of anything, the plan is to talk about football,&rdquo; said Bauza, speaking in Brazil where he has coached Sao Paulo for eight months. Bauza, who quit his job with Sao Paulo to accept the Argentina vacancy and will sign his contract in Buenos Aires on Friday, has only a couple of weeks to decide on his squad for qualifiers at home to Uruguay and away to Venezuela in the first week of September. 
 
&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t much time. My first squad won&rsquo;t have many changes but I want to talk with five or six of the leading players,&rdquo; Bauza said, no doubt referring to the likes of Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain. He also opened the door for Carlos Tevez, overlooked by Martino since a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Asuncion last October where he won his 76th cap. 
 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m thinking of Tevez as I am about other players ... Tevez is a player good enough for the national team,&rdquo; Bauza said. Bauza, a former central defender, rejected a tag as a defensive coach, saying: &quot;I&rsquo;m one of those who think that all (the team) have to defend. Football today is like that. 
 
&quot;You can defend in your opponents&rsquo; half if the pressure is high (up the field) but it&rsquo;s easier when you have players of the quality of the Argentina team. The options they offer you are many.&quot; 
 
Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American World Cup qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two points behind leading pair Uruguay and Ecuador. The top four teams after 18 matches go through to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. 
 
(Reuters)

'I hope the chat with him (Messi) will help for him to carry on in the national team,' Edgardo Bauza said today

Argentina’s new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month’s South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Bauza was named yesterday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi’s side to two successive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile. The more recent of those results in the Copa America Centenario in the United States in June led to Messi deciding to quit the team. It was his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. “I’m optimistic about Messi,” Bauza said. “I hope the chat with him will help for him to carry on in the national team. I want to explain to Messi what my (tactical) idea is. The least of my worries is his position on the pitch,” Bauza was quoted as saying in the Argentine daily La Nacion today. “There’s no need to convince Messi of anything, the plan is to talk about football,” said Bauza, speaking in Brazil where he has coached Sao Paulo for eight months. Bauza, who quit his job with Sao Paulo to accept the Argentina vacancy and will sign his contract in Buenos Aires on Friday, has only a couple of weeks to decide on his squad for qualifiers at home to Uruguay and away to Venezuela in the first week of September. “There isn’t much time. My first squad won’t have many changes but I want to talk with five or six of the leading players,” Bauza said, no doubt referring to the likes of Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain. He also opened the door for Carlos Tevez, overlooked by Martino since a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in Asuncion last October where he won his 76th cap. “I’m thinking of Tevez as I am about other players ... Tevez is a player good enough for the national team,” Bauza said. Bauza, a former central defender, rejected a tag as a defensive coach, saying: "I’m one of those who think that all (the team) have to defend. Football today is like that. "You can defend in your opponents’ half if the pressure is high (up the field) but it’s easier when you have players of the quality of the Argentina team. The options they offer you are many." Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American World Cup qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two points behind leading pair Uruguay and Ecuador. The top four teams after 18 matches go through to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. (Reuters)

Argentina's new coach plans to woo Messi back from retirement

Barcelona football star Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud, a statement from the court said today. 
 
The court also sentenced the Argentine soccer player&#39;s father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same three crimes. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement said. 
 
However, under Spanish law a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation, meaning Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail. 
 
The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) and his father to pay 1.5 million euros for the crimes. 
 
($1 = 0.9034 euros) 
 
(Reuters)

His father gets the same sentence, both found guilty of tax fraud

Barcelona football star Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud, a statement from the court said today. The court also sentenced the Argentine soccer player's father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same three crimes. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement said. However, under Spanish law a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation, meaning Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail. The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros ($2.21 million) and his father to pay 1.5 million euros for the crimes. ($1 = 0.9034 euros) (Reuters)

Messi sentenced to 21 months in prison

Argentina President Mauricio Macri has personally contacted star striker Lionel Messi and urged him not to call it quits on the national team. 
 
Twenty-nine-year-old Messi announced his retirement from international football after missing his spot-kick in the decisive shootout, as Argentina once again lost to Chile for a second straight year in the Copa America final at Met Life Stadium, the United States on Sunday. 
 
According to the goal.com, Macri said that he was really proud of the national team&#39;s performance and requested the Barcelona star ignore the criticism. The Argentina President also took to micro-blogging website Twitter, asking Messi not to leave the team.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I never feel greater pride in our team. I hope the joy of seeing the best in the world will continue for many years more. #NoTeVayasLio,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
Meanwhile, Legendary Argentina footballer Diego Maradona also appealed to the Barcelona talisman to reconsider his retirement plans for the national team&#39;s benefit. &quot;He has to rely more on boys who can help take the team forward and less on those who say they have to go. Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won&#39;t see what a disaster Argentine football has become,&quot; Maradona said. 
 
Following the 4-2 loss on penalties, a visibly distraught Messi said that it hurts not to be a champion despite reaching four finals before adding that &quot;The national team is over for me&quot;. 
 
Despite winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Barcelona, Messi&#39;s only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games. In addition to losing three Copa America finals (2007, 2015, 2016), Messi&#39;s Argentina were beaten by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Legendary Argentina footballer Diego Maradona also appealed to the Barcelona star to reconsider his retirement plans

Argentina President Mauricio Macri has personally contacted star striker Lionel Messi and urged him not to call it quits on the national team. Twenty-nine-year-old Messi announced his retirement from international football after missing his spot-kick in the decisive shootout, as Argentina once again lost to Chile for a second straight year in the Copa America final at Met Life Stadium, the United States on Sunday. According to the goal.com, Macri said that he was really proud of the national team's performance and requested the Barcelona star ignore the criticism. The Argentina President also took to micro-blogging website Twitter, asking Messi not to leave the team. "I never feel greater pride in our team. I hope the joy of seeing the best in the world will continue for many years more. #NoTeVayasLio," he tweeted. Meanwhile, Legendary Argentina footballer Diego Maradona also appealed to the Barcelona talisman to reconsider his retirement plans for the national team's benefit. "He has to rely more on boys who can help take the team forward and less on those who say they have to go. Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won't see what a disaster Argentine football has become," Maradona said. Following the 4-2 loss on penalties, a visibly distraught Messi said that it hurts not to be a champion despite reaching four finals before adding that "The national team is over for me". Despite winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Barcelona, Messi's only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games. In addition to losing three Copa America finals (2007, 2015, 2016), Messi's Argentina were beaten by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. (ANI)

Argentina President urges Messi not to call it quits

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