Three points clear at the top of La Liga ahead of this weekend's Classico and everything is looking peachy for Barcelona. However, things are rarely that simple and there have been rumblings of discontent following suggestions that Luis Enrique's decision to substitute Lionel Messi against Eibar this weekend was overturned by Messi himself.
Luis Enrique had wanted to bring on Munir and eventually it was Neymar who made way. However, the pictures seem to show Enrique attempting to bring Messi off and the Argentine subsequently rebuffing him. The Barcelona manager has had his say and it has done little to dispel suggestions that Messi has more power than you would imagine the average Barcelona player has.
Before making changes, we generally ask the players and we make the decision afterwards. What happened can be interpreted many ways, depending on who it serves. I will carry on doing what I have been doing.
I have to take everything into account, but I trust in how he feels and what he tells me. Sometimes I look around me on the bench and think how lucky we are to have Messi. For us it is not just about what he does on the pitch. He is also a great motivator for his teammates.
All in all, not exactly a definitive denial then. We'll leave it up to you but it does seem as if Enrique is doing more than just asking Messi how he feels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLXkurpwRY
[ESPN]
