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Dani Alves has warned his former club Barcelona not to make their biggest ever mistake by allowing Lionel Messi to walk away from the Camp Nou.
It has been reported in Spain the captain is considering leaving next summer when his current contract expires after becoming frustrated with the Catalan giants both on and off the pitch.
Alves spoke to Catalunya Radio’s Tot Gira program about Messi and offered his thoughts when asked if the Argentina international could be tempted away from Barcelona.
“No, I don’t think so. He’s the face of this club, of this team and it would be the biggest mistake the club would ever make [if he left].
“It would be a mistake for such a player not to retire there and change the name of Camp Nou to Leo Messi.”
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has tried to play down concerns over Messi’s future. He told TV3 in a recent interview that the club would “definitely renew” the forward’s contract.
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Messi’s Frustrations at Barcelona Boil Over
Messi has been unusually vocal this season in what has been a traumatic campaign for the Catalan giants. He publicly spoke out against sporting director Eric Abidal in February after the Frenchman blamed the players for Ernesto Valverde’s sacking.
The captain’s frustrations were also clear on Thursday when he scored against Osasuna and celebrated with an angry gesture.
Messi also criticized the team following the loss at the Camp Nou which saw Real Madrid crowned Spanish champions for 2019-20 and called for change.
“We have to change lots of things. We have a game against Napoli just around the corner and things have to change. I think we’ll have a break now which will be good for us to clear the heads a bit. January until now has been such a terrible time for everybody. I think in the Champions League there are four matches where we could turn the whole season around if we get the right results.”
Alves Excited About Xavi Return
One change that could take place would be the return of legend Xavi as manager. The former midfielder has made it clear it remains his “dream” to coach the Blaugrana and has said recently he’s preparing to come back.
Alves also spoke about the possibility of Xavi taking charge of the Catalan giants and was excited about the prospect of seeing his former team-mate in the dugout.
“It will be Barcelona’s 3.0 version. A team is not just 11, it’s not just a coach… it’s the conjugation of all those verbs. That’s how you make a great team invincible: when it’s in tune.”
Yet Barcelona may have to wait another season to welcome Xavi back. He has just signed a new one-year contract at Al-Sadd and has spoken about wanting to return after the next presidential elections which will be held in 2021.
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