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Lionel Messi has taken time out to relax on the beach ahead of Barcelona’s crucial La Liga fixture against league leaders Atletico Madrid on Saturday at the Camp Nou.
The Barcelona captain’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo showed her husband “enjoying the sun” and taking it easy in a video on Instagram.
The couple were at Chiringuito Chalito in Barcelona, a beach bar owned by Messi’s former Barca teammate Luis Suarez.
The Barcelona players have been enjoying some time off after Sunday’s 3-2 win over Valencia in which Messi scored twice. The squad was invited back to Messi’s house after a recovery session on Monday morning for a barbecue.
Coach Ronald Koeman has also given the team the day off on Tuesday with the players due back on Wednesday to begin preparations for the crucial match. A victory for Barca will move the Catalan giants above the Rojiblancos in the table with just three games left.
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La Liga To Investigate Messi Party
The gathering at Messi’s house on Monday could reportedly be about to land Barcelona in some trouble. La Liga has opened an investigation into the meeting to determine whether the players breached coronavirus restrictions, according to ESPN.
Gatherings of up to six people are currently allowed in Barcelona, and the Spanish league is now “seeking more information on the get-together” and whether any rules were broken by the Barcelona players.
The report adds that the Barcelona squad and their partners “spent the afternoon outside and at separate tables, respecting social distancing regulations laid out by La Liga.”
Restrictions are still in force in La Liga which means players must get changed before arriving at stadiums on matchday among other protocols. There had been plans to have fans back at matches before the end of the season but that now seems unlikely.
Spain’s health minister Carolina Darias has told reporters it would not be advisable for fans to return to La Liga matches this season, as reported by Reuters journalist Richard Martin.
La Liga Set For Another Dramatic Weekend
The news means that there will once again be no fans in attendance in what promises to be another crucial weekend in the race for the title in Spain’s top flight.
Barcelona’s clash with Atletico Madrid is up first on Saturday and sees the Catalan giants able to move above a side they trailed by 10 points back in January. A turnaround in form, coupled with some poor Atleti results, has seen the gap closed to just two.
Yet Real Madrid must also drop points if Barca and Messi are to finish top. Los Blancos face a tough test on Sunday against Sevilla at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. Julen Lopetegui’s side are fourth in the table, just four points behind the defending champions.
The title race has already taken plenty of twists and turns this season and more look likely likely in the final weeks of the season. Barca has already lifted the Copa del Rey in 2020-21 and will be hoping to go on and do the double.
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