FC Barcelona are more than Messi-Suarez-Neymar, says Messi
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi insisted European champions Barcelona have more to their armory than his partnership with Luis Suarez and Neymar as the Catalans eye a second consecutive treble. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described the South American trio as turning “normal life into art”, as all […]
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi insisted European champions Barcelona have more to their armory than his partnership with Luis Suarez and Neymar as the Catalans eye a second consecutive treble.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described the South American trio as turning “normal life into art”, as all three were on target to take their combined goals tally for the season to 106 in eliminating the English side from the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I don’t think Barcelona depend on the three up front,” Messi said on Thursday.
“There is a big squad and there is much more than three players.
“We try to help offensively and defensively, but I don’t think the team depends on us.”
Barca are on the brink of their sixth La Liga title in eight years as they lead Atletico Madrid by eight points with just nine games to play and will face Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final in May.
But despite unparalleled success over the past decade, Messi claimed the winning mentality within the Barca dressing room keeps them focused on winning everything again this season.
“There is a good relationship not just between Suarez, Neymar and I, but in the whole dressing room,” he added.
“The humility that the team has, the mentality to keep improving as if we had never won anything strengthens the group. That is the most positive thing.”
In stark contrast to his success at club level, Messi is yet to win a major international tournament with Argentina.
And having missed out in the finals of the World Cup and Copa America in the past two years, he is determined to make amends at the centenary edition of the Copa America in the United States in June.
“My objective is always to win, whether it is with Barcelona or Argentina.
“This new Copa America is another opportunity for us having been so close in two consecutive finals.”
