Getty
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was happy to talk about Lionel Messi’s future after his team’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Messi’s future remains uncertain with the captain out of contract in the summer which means it’s possible that Wednesday’s match could have been his last in the Champions League for Barcelona.
Koeman spoke about the Argentine after the 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes and says Messi knows he’s building a team at the Camp Nou, as reported by the AFP’s Tom Allnutt.
“Leo has seen for quite some time that the team is improving thanks to all the changes we’ve made. Particularly, we have young players of great quality. We’ve got a great future ahead. Leo can’t have any doubts about what the future holds for this team,” he said. “As for Leo’s future, it’s up to him to decide. Nobody can help him. He has seen for a long time that there is a lot of promise in this team. That’s not going to be an argument for him not to stay.”
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Messi Signs Off In Style?
If this was Messi’s last Champions League game for Barcelona then he certainly signed off in style with a brilliant strike from distance to make it 1-1. The Argentine let fly from fully 25 yards and saw his rising strike beat goalkeeper Keylor Navas and end up in the top corner.
LIONEL MESSI. FROM WAY DOWNTOWN. 🚀
Yet Messi then went on to miss a penalty at the end of the first half which would have put Barca 2-1 up going into the second half but saw his effort saved by Navas.
The PSG goalkeeper, who was named Player of the Match, spoke about the penalty save after the game, as reported by UEFA. He said, “I’m very happy because it was a difficult match. We all wanted to play a great game and make the most of the first leg to qualify. It’s always difficult [to save a penalty] especially against Messi, who takes them very well.”
Mbappe Not At Messi’s Level Yet
Barcelona has now followed Juventus in going out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage meaning neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the quarter-finals, while rising stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland are safely through.
Midfielder Pedri was asked about Mbappe and Messi and made it clear that he thinks the Frenchman still has some work to do to reach the Barcelona captain’s level.
Pedri says Mbappé still has a lot to improve on to get on the level of Messi 🗣
Mbappe did beat one of Messi’s many records on Wednesday. The striker’s effort means he’s now the youngest player to reach 25 goals in Europe’s top competition.
22y 80d – Aged 22 years and 80 days, Kylian Mbappé has become the youngest player in UEFA Champions League history to reach 25 goals in the competition, taking the mantle from Lionel Messi (22y 286d). Idolise.
PSG and Mbappe will be hoping they can go on and win the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history this season. The French champions have never lifted the European Cup but were beaten finalists last season, going down 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
READ NEXT: The Surprise Barcelona Shirt Mbappe Took Home [LOOK]