🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all | OneFootball

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Phil Costa·20 February 2020

🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all

Article image:🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all

It’s not often Lionel Messi gives in-depth interviews to the media.

But the Barcelona forward has sat down with Mundo Deportivo and covered a range of juicy topics, from Neymar, to Lautaro Martínez, to leaving Barcelona.


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Best of all? We’ve broken down all the best quotes for your reading pleasure …


On Neymar re-joining Barcelona ..

Article image:🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all

“I’ve said it many times, Neymar is one of the best players in the world and I would love for him to return.

“He is really looking forward to coming back, he always seemed sorry after leaving.

“He already did a lot to return and that would be the first step to try to arrive.”


On his Barcelona future …

“I’ve said many times that my idea is (to stay) and while the club and fans want that, there will never be a problem.

“I’ve also said I’d like us to all be good, the club, for the fans to be happy, to have a winning project.”


On Lautaro Martínez …

Article image:🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all

“He is spectacular. He was seen to be a great player, now he exploded and is showing it.

“He is very strong. He is very good one against one, he scores a lot of goals and in the area he fights with anyone.

“Lautaro has a lot of quality – and shares a resemblance with Luis Suárez!”


On his clause that allows him to leave for free …

“Really I’ve always had that decision, not just because of the clause. If the club want me, there’s no problem.

“A lot of times I’ve had chances to leave, a lot of clubs were interested and even ready to pay my clause but I never considered going and not now either.”


On clashing with Eric Abidal …

Article image:🗣 Neymar, Lautaro and leaving Barça: Lionel Messi reveals all

“I don’t know what he was thinking. I responded because I felt attacked.

“Too many things are already said about this dressing room, that we run things, we pick and sack coaches, bring in players, above all about me, that I have a lot of power and take decisions.”