Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has lavished praise on talisman Lionel Messi after the Argentinian’s dramatic U-turn on his future, calling him ‘the best’.
Messi appeared destined for the exit door at the Nou Camp after informing his boyhood club of his desire to leave via burofax earlier this summer, with Manchester City the leading contenders to seal an incredible move for the superstar.
But the 33-year-old shocked the football world by confirming he would stay at the club for another season, reluctant to take them to court over a dispute regarding a £630m release clause in his contract.
Koeman will now be able to count on Messi for the upcoming season as he looks to lead the club into a new era following a turbulent season that saw two sackings and a shocking 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Speaking ahead of a friendly against Gimnastic on Saturday, Koeman had plenty of positives for Messi and stressed he remained hugely crucial to the success of the Catalan outfit.
‘He’s the best,’ he said, as reported by ESPN. ‘Messi when fit is such an important player for us and he’s shown that over many years. I hope he can repeat it again this season.’
Barcelona’s first two games of the new LaLiga campaign are postponed as the team are given more rest following their involvement in the top European competition, with Villarreal providing their initial test on September 27.
