(Reuters): Manchester City will be in a position to sign Lionel Messi if the opportunity presents itself next season, the Premier League club's chief operating officer said. City were the frontrunners to land Messi's services after the 33-year-old Argentine handed Barcelona an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract. However, the six-times world player of the year eventually decided to stay in Spain for the coming season, the last on his cur

BARCELONA, October 3 (Reuters): Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi has been the ideal captain and an example to the rest of the team for the way he has applied himself since deciding to stay at the club this season. Messi gave an outstanding performance in Barca's 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday after playing the whole second half with 10 men, crushing any fears that the Argentine might lack commitment after the club refused to let him leave. "From

VIGO, Spain, October 2 (Reuters) - Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto praised his captain Lionel Messi for a sensational display in his side's 3-0 win away to Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday, as the Argentinean further demonstrated he has put his troubles with the club behind him. After Ansu Fati had opened the scoring, Messi helped double Barca's advantage early in the second half with an unstoppable run down the right hand side of the area and a shot that bounced off

BARCELONA, September 30 (Reuters): Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he wishes to move on from his recent bid to walk out of the club and his recent attacks on the board of directors, calling for everyone to pull together to help the team have a successful season. Messi handed Barca an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract before eventually deciding to stay for the coming season, the last on his current deal, because he did not want to face a l

BARCELONA, September 28 (Reuters): Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman. Teenage forward Ansu Fati was in inspirational form for Barca, combining with Jordi Alba to side-foot home first time into the net in the 15th minute and then striking again four minutes later with another ice-cool finish. Fati, the

MADRID, September 28 (Reuters): Lionel Messi might have grabbed the headlines this summer for all the wrong reasons as he attempted to leave Barcelona, but on Monday morning they finally belonged to someone else. Despite being just 17, a lot is expected of Ansu Fati and he did not disappoint, putting in a magical display as Barca thrashed Villarreal 4-0 on Sunday. Many have pondered what life is going to be like at the Nou Camp once Messi finally leaves, and with the Argenti

BARCELONA, September 26 (Reuters): Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said he understood why Lionel Messi was upset about the departure of his long-time strike partner and friend Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid but did not believe it would affect him on the pitch. Messi blasted Barca on Friday for forcing Suarez out after six years of service in which he scored 198 goals, the Argentinean's latest attack on the club's hierarchy after he tried to force a move of his own last mo

BARCELONA, September 24 (Reuters): Luis Suarez highlighted his close friendship with Lionel Messi as he bid a teary farewell to Barcelona on Thursday ahead of his move to La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid. Messi had failed to dovetail with other top strikers such as Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa but took no time at all to gel with Suarez, who became his best friend at the club as well as a prolific strike partner. "When I got to Barcelona every

BARCELONA, September 17 (Reuters): Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi has won a legal battle over trademark rights relating to his own logo after the European Union's top court on Thursday dismissed an appeal against the player from a Spanish cycling clothing brand. The EU's Court of Justice in Luxembourg said in a statement it had authorised the player to register the trademark Messi, dismissing an appeal from the EU's intellectual property office EUIPO a

LONDON, September 15 (Reuters): Lionel Messi was denied a potentially money-spinning move away from Barcelona this month after a contract-dispute but the Argentine maestro remains the world's richest soccer player. According to a list compiled by Forbes, Messi's total earnings this year are $126 million -- $92 million from his salary and $34 million in endorsements. Not surprisingly Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second although earnings of $117 million will soften the b

BARCELONA, September 9 (Reuters): Lionel Messi looked back in his comfort zone during training with his Barcelona team mates on Wednesday in preparation for the new La Liga season as he continued to move on from his aborted attempt to leave the club last month. Barca's all-time top scorer was seen smiling as he and his fellow players worked through persistent rain at the club's Joan Gamper training complex under the orders of new coach Ronald Koeman. Messi, who remai

BARCELONA, September 8 (Reuters) - With Lionel Messi's aborted bid to leave Barcelona still raw, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu may be counting his days after a campaign group announced they were racking up signatures in a bid to force a vote of no-confidence in him. 'Mes que una mocio' (More than a motion), the group supported by candidates for next year's presidential election, said they had reached 7,500 club member signatures of the required 16,520 by Sept.

(Reuters): Barcelona fans will be celebrating the fact they will get to watch their beloved Lionel Messi for another season after he announced he would be staying at the Nou Camp on Friday. But the result of the high-profile arm wrestle between the world's most iconic soccer player and one of its biggest clubs appears to have ended with neither camp able to claim victory. On the face of it, the 33-year-old six-time world player of the year appears to have backed down in

BARCELONA, Spain, September 4 (Reuters): Lionel Messi ended speculation about his future at Barcelona by announcing on Friday that he would reluctantly stay for another season rather than tackle his career-long club in court. A week after saying he wanted to leave the Liga side, and with a contract row still raging, the 33-year-old six-time player of the year gave the news Barca fans were hoping for. In doing so, however, the Argentine forward took a big swipe at the club

BARCELONA, September 3 (Reuters): Lionel Messi's father and agent met Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to discuss the player's wish to leave the club but the talks ended in stalemate, Spanish media reported. Earlier, Jorge Messi said it would be "difficult" for his son to remain with Barcelona, the only club he has ever played for professionally. The meeting lasted one-and-a-half hours and was held in a cordial atmosphere, according to

BARCELONA, September 1 (Reuters): Unhappy Lionel Messi missed Barcelona's first training session of the new season on Monday, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the only club he has played for professionally. Messi's failure to show up for the session, the first under new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman, was widely expected after the 33-year-old Argentine also failed to show up for a pre-season medical on Sunday. Reuters television footage showed

Barcelona, August 31 (IANS): Spanish football league LaLiga has said Lionel Messi cannot leave Barcelona on a free transfer by stating his release clause that will have to be paid if he is to severe ties with the club. The Messi transfer saga took another step forward last week with the news that he would not go to the club's training ground to take a planned coronavirus test. Messi and the rest of the Barcelona squad, who played in their ill-fated Champions League campaign,

BARCELONA, August 30 (Reuters): La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical on Sunday. The ruling body said the only way for the Argentine forward to be released from the contract was to trigger a 700-million euros ($833 million) release clause. "In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga

MADRID, August 30 (Reuters): Lionel Messi will not take a planned pre-season coronavirus test on Sunday or return to training on Monday after his shock announcement earlier this week that he wants to leave Barcelona, Spanish media reported on Saturday. Spanish sports paper Marca said Messi was "going to war" with his lifelong club by making the decision. La Vanguardia reported Messi will send another burofax, the method by which he told the club he wanted to leave,

August 28 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says he would be interested in adding Barcelona captain Lionel Messi to his Premier League-winning squad but there is no chance it would happen because of the astronomical amount of money involved. Messi stunned world soccer earlier this week when he expressed his desire to leave Barcelona after nearly two decades with the Catalan club. When asked if he would like to bring the Argentine forward to Anfield, Klopp said: "In