Barcelona can’t win Champions League unless they improve their performances: Messi


Barcelona can’t win Champions League unless they improve their performances: Messi

On Friday, Lionel Messi emphasized FC Barcelona cannot win the Champions League unless they improve their performances, disagreeing with head coach Quique Setien. Actually, The Argentine star issued a warning to his side, urging them to improve following the coronavirus outbreak.

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COVID-19 has wreaked globally and brought sports to a standstill. The entire schedule of the sports calendar was spoiled. La Liga championship has also been postponed since march due to coronavirus pandemic situation.

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Barcelona players returned to individual training last week and had been preparing for the second leg of their League last-16 tie against Napoli when the competition was suspended due to coronavirus.

In February, The Spanish giants had drawn the match from Napoli, Messi claiming Barcelona could not win the Champions League if they won’t improve their performance.

“I never doubted the squad we have and I have no doubt that we can win all that remains, but not by playing in the way we were playing,” Messi, who has won four Champions League titles, told.

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“Now, everyone has their opinion and they are all very respectable. Mine is based on the fact that I was lucky to play the Champions League every year and I know that it is not possible to win it by playing as we have been playing. Perhaps Setien misunderstood”, he added in a statement.

“This break may end up benefiting us, but we are going to see if they can start the competitions and there we will leave doubts because we will check the level that we have or can reach when we start,” Messi said.

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“Going back to training is the first step but we should not trust ourselves and we must continue taking all the necessary precautions and assume that we have to start playing the games when they arrive but behind closed doors. Personally I am looking forward to the competitions. We know that everything is going to be weird, without fans in the stadium and with the theme of the concentrations that we really would not like to have to be separated from our families. You have to see how it looks”, he added.

“Physically I feel very well. I was training at home these days and I think it helped me to keep fit. Very hard confinement, but with the children and with Antonela everything ends up becoming moments that I try to enjoy all together”, Messi concluded.