Madrid (AFP)
Tense reunion.
Lionel Messi returned to the FC Barcelona group on Monday after his unsuccessful attempt to leave the club during the summer.
Shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time (2:00 p.m. GMT), Messi arrived by car at Ciutat Esportiva, Barça's training center, on the outskirts of Barcelona.
For his first session under the orders of Ronald Koeman, his new coach, it is alone that Messi trained, "as is the protocol of La Liga", said photo in support Barcelona in a statement, since the Argentine has not yet provided a negative test for the coronavirus.
Soberly, the story therefore resumes between Messi and his club, where he finally decided to stay, as he revealed on Friday in an interview with Goal.
The six-time Ballon d'Or, 33, had engaged this summer in an explosive standoff with Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu, trying to leave the club where he arrived at 13 and spent his entire professional career.
But he finally gave in.
He refused to go to court to contest the exorbitant release clause demanded of him (EUR 700 million), scratching President Bartomeu, whom he accuses of having betrayed a promise to let him go if he so wished. .
Messi, who won everything and broke almost all records with Barcelona, said his decision to leave had been matured at length, and taken even before the humiliation (8-2) inflicted in the Champions League by Bayern Munich, future European champion.
And so before the end of a catastrophic season, the first without a title since 2008 for the Catalans.
- Reconquest -
From now on, the superstar will have to return to a group where he is no longer on conquered ground.
In particular in the eyes of coach Ronald Koeman, with whom, according to the Spanish press, the current has not gone well.
The Argentine had communicated his desire to leave the day after a discussion with Koeman, stormy according to the press.
Messi would have criticized the successor of Quique Setién for wanting to dismiss his sidekick in attack and close friend, the Uruguayan Luis Suarez, like other executives such as Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic or Samuel Umtiti.
Suarez, who also went to training on Monday, could move to Juventus Turin, while Vidal is announced at Inter Milan.
As for Koeman, he warned at his first press conference, when the dispute with Messi was just a rumor, that he "only wanted players who want to be here and give their all."
If the "Pulga" manages to smooth things over with the Dutchman, and subject to a negative test for the coronavirus, he will be able to return to the grounds on Saturday, during a pre-season friendly against Gimnastic Tarragona (D3).
Or failing that, four days later against Girona (D2).
His first match since the humiliation of Bayern in C1.
And the first of a long road to win back the club.
© 2020 AFP