Messi Back Training with Barca after Ending Departure Saga

Barcelona's Lionel Messi as he arrives for training. (Reuters)
Barcelona's Lionel Messi as he arrives for training. (Reuters)
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Messi Back Training with Barca after Ending Departure Saga

Barcelona's Lionel Messi as he arrives for training. (Reuters)
Barcelona's Lionel Messi as he arrives for training. (Reuters)

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi reported for training on Monday for the first time since requesting to leave the club last month.

Messi had failed to turn up to the club’s tests for COVID-19 eight days ago and been absent from all subsequent sessions ahead of the new campaign after giving the club an official notice that he wished to leave.

But the club’s all-time top scorer finally appeared at the Joan Gamper training ground ahead of an evening session, his first under new coach Ronald Koeman, after taking a test for the novel coronavirus at his home on Sunday.

Messi, 33, revealed last Friday in an interview with Goal.com that he was staying at Barca for the coming season as he did not wish to face a court case with the club where he has spent his entire career over a disputed release clause in his contract.

The Argentine claimed in an official letter that he was free to leave the club unilaterally and without a transfer fee owing to the clause.

But Barca and the league’s organizing body responded by saying the clause was no longer valid and that the only way to free him from his contract was by paying a release clause of 700 million euros ($827.68 million).

Messi, however, will be free to leave free of charge next June unless he pens a new deal with Barca.

Barca, who will be looking to reclaim the La Liga title after surrendering it to Real Madrid last season, are sitting out the first two weeks of the new campaign which begins on Friday due to reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Koeman’s side will instead play pre-season friendlies against Gimnastic de Tarragona on Saturday Sept. 12 and Girona on Sept. 16 before their first league game at home to Villarreal on Sept. 27.



PSG May Be Spared from Facing Rashford and Watkins Double Act in the Champions League

Football - Premier League - Southampton v Aston Villa - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 12, 2025 Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford shoots at goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Southampton v Aston Villa - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 12, 2025 Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford shoots at goal. (Reuters)
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PSG May Be Spared from Facing Rashford and Watkins Double Act in the Champions League

Football - Premier League - Southampton v Aston Villa - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 12, 2025 Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford shoots at goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Southampton v Aston Villa - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 12, 2025 Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford shoots at goal. (Reuters)

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery suggested he is not ready to unleash Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins as a strike partnership against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Villa needs to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg when the teams meet at Villa Park.

But Emery does not think England internationals Rashford and Watkins can play as a front two yet.

“The next step, if I have time, is to play them together,” he told a news conference Monday. “We did with Rashford playing left side, but now we are choosing more with both playing as strikers. That’s the next step. I want to practice. I want to test, but not now, with enough time.”

Rashford has impressed during a loan spell from Manchester United, with three goals in recent weeks. Watkins has scored 15 this season, including one to set up a 3-0 win against Southampton on Saturday after coming on as a substitute.

Emery said Watkins feels “fantastic,” but he is still to decide what team to play against French champion PSG.

“I don’t have my idea in my mind for the starting 11, I have my idea, a plan, overall 90 minutes or extra-time or penalty shootout for the match tomorrow,” he said. “Every player has to know their task on the field, and they have to understand as well, how we manage the match emotionally and tactically as well, in case they are on the field to do their task.”

Emery said his players have to believe they can produce an epic comeback to book their place in the semifinals.

“We want to write here the history with Aston Villa,” he said.