Lionel Messi during the Champions League quarter-final between Barça and Bayern Munich, August 14, 2020. -
Manu Fernandez / AP / SIPA
Lionel Messi returned to the FC Barcelona training center on Monday afternoon to regain his place in the professional group, three days after announcing his decision to stay this season at his training club, a journalist from the AFP.
The Argentinian, who had communicated to his leaders two weeks ago his intention to leave Barca before reversing, arrived behind the wheel of his car shortly after 4 p.m. to take part in his first training session under the orders of the new coach, the Dutchman Roland Koeman.
The six-time Ballon d'Or announced on Friday in an interview with Goal that he would continue to give the best of himself at Barça while maintaining that he had tried to leave because he wanted "to live happily his last years of football" and blaming the club president for "breaking his word" and forcing him to stay.
A match on Saturday?
The return of the 33-year-old star is not going to be easy, especially in the probable absence of his closest partners such as Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal, announced respectively to Juventus and Inter Milan.
If he passes the coronavirus test and rejoins training, Messi could be lined up for the friendly against Tarragona on Saturday for his first appearance since the humiliation (8-2) against Bayern Munich last month in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Messi's decision to inform his club by fax of his desire to leave came the day after a meeting with new coach Ronald Koeman, an exchange during which the technician allegedly had harsh words with his star.
During his first press conference, the Dutch technician had also said that he "only wanted players who want to be here and give everything" for the club.
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