Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez says the
widely reported row between team superstar Lionel Messi and coach Luis
Enrique in early January has “zero importance” except to show how much
everyone at the club cares about winning.
The bust-up during a training game came
just after the return from La Liga’s winter break, and quickly blew up
into a media storm that Messi himself helped fuel by suggesting he did
not know where he would be playing next season.
Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu
initially denied that anything had happened, although neither Luis
Enrique nor Messi would confirm nor deny what had happened. Apparent
confirmation did come however via teammate Jeremy Mathieu in comments on
French radio after last Wednesday’s turbulent Copa del Rey game at
Atletico Madrid.
The
first senior Barca figure to speak in public after Mathieu’s comments
told a news conference that neither the incident, nor the public
confirmation, would have any affect on Barca’s spirit of togetherness.
“These are situations which happen over the season, and can happen in any group of people,” Xavi said.
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