FC Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman on Friday admitted he has no clue about star forward Lionel Messi’s future with the Catalans, adding that it is not his responsibility to convince the Argentine to stay. 

Messi sent shockwaves around the football world in the summer by attempting to leave his boyhood club before deciding to see out his contract, which runs until June 2021.

He will be free to negotiate with other clubs in January and leave for free when the contract expires with Manchester City the favourites to sign the six-time Ballon d’Or winner. 

“Messi still has a contract and in my opinion he has to stay here,” AFP quoted Koeman saying in a presser ahead of Saturday’s encounter against Atletico Madrid in the La Liga. 

“But I am not the person that has to try to make him stay here. We will see about his future, still he is a Barcelona player. Nobody knows what will happen with the future of Messi,” he added. 

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Messi grabbed headline again on Wednesday after his return to Barcelona from international duty with Argentina when he was faced with questions about his relationship with French forward Antoine Griezmann. 

Griezmann’s former agent had earlier said that was difficult to play with and he has a say on everything that foes on with the club. 

Messi replied by saying, “I’m tired of always being the problem with everything at the club”. 

Having his say on the matter, Koeman said, “I can understand why Leo was fuming. People should show a lot more respect to people like Lionel Messi. After such a long trip, to ask Messi about Antoine is a lack of respect, once again to create controversy.”

“I have not seen any problem between the two of them, not in the changing room on the training pitch. There are enough pictures who showing them working well together. Someone has said something and that someone has not been a client of Griezmann for three years. It’s bullshit.”

Koeman also complained about Barcelona’s fixture congestion in the coming weeks, with a Champions League fixture awaiting the Catalans following Saturday’s trip to Madrid. 

“And then we have to play in Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday night. It doesn’t help the big teams or big players,” Koeman said. 

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Barcelona will be without the injured Sergio Busquets and Ansu Fati at the Wanda Metropolitano while Atletico’s Luis Suarez will be denied the chance to face his former club, after he tested positive for coronavirus.

Atletico will go nine points clear of Barca if they win but Diego Simeone’s side have not beaten the Catalans in La Liga since 2010.

“It’s an important match and we want to get a good result but La Liga is very long and a lot can happen,” said Koeman.