Press reports revealed that Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, his first
star, has identified the coach who wants him to take over as
coach of Kiki Sitten.
The Catalan team lost the domestic league title to its traditional
rivals Real Madrid in the final stages, which put Sittin in the
circle of criticism from the fans as well as some players.
The Spanish media have indicated that the coach will be
leaving, while Barcelona’s results in the Champions League
remain a crucial element in determining his fate.
However, the British newspaper “Sun” said that Messi wanted
his compatriot Marcelo Bielsa to take over as Barcelona coach,
after he led Leeds United to return to the Premier League.
Bielsa’s (65-year-old) contract with Leeds expires this month,
amid speculation that it could be extended, especially after
the completion of the rise to the “Premier League”.
Bielsa previously coached the Argentina national team between
1998 and 2004, but this was the time before Messi joined the “Tango Dancers”.
Citin was appointed technical director of Barcelona last January,
succeeding Ernesto Valverde. The 61-year-old coach achieved
varying results at first, but he managed to maintain the lead in
the La Liga arrangement in the team’s quest for the third
successive title in the league, until the competition was
suspended due to the new Corona virus in March.
However, Barcelona’s performance faltered in the post-return
period in June, until it ended up in second place behind the royal team.
These results were accompanied by reports of differences in the
team, especially between Messi-led players, the technical staff
and the administration.
Messi criticized the team’s performance after the loss against
Osasuna in the last stage, calling for a comprehensive self-
criticism and warning that the performance presented by
Barcelona may cost him dearly in the European Champions
League competition, which he will complete on August 8 by
hosting Napoli in the second leg of the final price, After a 1-1 draw back.
