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So Neymar commented “this president is a joke” on a post quoting Bartomeu saying “We made the mistake of trusting Neymar & his dad too much.”

Sure he is. But Bartomeu/the board was also a joke when:

We became the first Spanish club charged with tax fraud for everything the board did to come to an agreement with them for Neymar’s signing

They agreed to pay €400,000/season to his father to “scout Brazilian players" as part of his contract (to be paid whether we actually signed any of the players or not) 

They agreed to pay €800,000/season to his father for “marketing” (to be paid whether his company found us any marketing agents or not)

They never said a word to Ney about his absence in matches during a crucial part of the season EVERY YEAR to attend his sister’s parties

They lied multiple times for them to the press to keep the entourage happy 

They said they would handle the way Neymar was brought to Barcelona the same “all over again” despite everything the club went through (and is still going through) because of it

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The wedding ceremony 

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La Nación: Were you surprised when he invited you to his wedding?

Agustín Ruani (childhood friend of Leo Messi, part of ‘La Máquina del 87′): “If he hadn’t, it was all good, honestly. I prefer to see him on a barbecue because we have more privacy. I am very grateful and happy though, I want to go. When he came in December and we ate an asado, before saying goodbye he announced, ‘See you in June at the wedding, eh.’ It’s an example of how much he loves us, he is the same kid as always and we are a wholesome group of friends. On the other hand, it will be a shame that at the wedding we will be able to talk for like five minutes at most, ha. But we are all very grateful. What we want the most is to give him a kiss, a hug and congratulate him.”

[…] “He’s not Messi for us, he’s just Leo. Sometimes we only realize what he means for the football world because of what people tell us. But we’ve known him since we were little kids, he’s just one of us and we don’t get starstruck when we see him,” explains Ruani. Juan Cruz Leguizamón, Franco Casanova, Gonzalo Mazzía and Lucas Scaglia (in addition, cousin of Antonela Roccuzzo) are some of the names with which Messi shared the category of 87. “We have a Whatsapp group with several of these guys and Leo.We are always connected but we do not bother him, nobody asks him for anything.We understand the context in which he lives.“

However, during the World Cup in Brazil 2014 a very special invitation came from Rio de Janeiro: tickets for the group to see Messi in the top football competition. "It was very nice. When we see him, Leo is the center of attention. We always talk to him about things outside of football and he always asks us about our families, about the jobs. It’s a healthy relationship. He’s attentive, he always keeps up with everybody and that doesn’t surprise me. To the point that in December, when we ate the asado, he was the first to stand up to clear the table. It seems like a silly thing but I don’t know if other people in his situation could do it”.

[…] “There is a lot of movement in the city and I’m a little surprised. And we are being featured in the media all over the world. That’s when I truly realize what Leo means to the world.”

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Best of Lucho

On his qualities as a coach: “Well, I’m handsome, tall, friendly, Asturian…”

On his preferred result for the Madrid derby: “I’d like both teams to lose the Madrid derby.”

On his transfer from Real Madrid to Barcelona: “It wasn’t [hard to leave], it was easy.”

On the infamous Figo pig’s head incident: “It was strange that they only threw the pig’s head; I thought they might throw the whole pig!”

On his crazy celebration after scoring at the Bernabeu: “I do not care what these people think. I am proud to wear the shirt of Barcelona and score a goal in the Bernabeu.”

On the possibility of a comeback against PSG: “If they scored four in Paris, we can score six.”

On fans chanting his name at the Camp Nou: “They are always the same 100-150 people who are doing that, I’ve paid them…”

On Jordi Alba’s red card: “The player has explained to me that he said ‘always to me’ and that, unless it is the name of a horror movie, is not a reason to send someone off.”

On Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz’s criticism of his celebration at the Bernabeu: “If he wants then I can cry.”

On seeing himself in white: “I see myself in pictures and TV wearing the Madrid shirt in the past and I feel strange. I think the scarlet and blue shirt suits me better.”

On criticism: “I never read criticism on me. My doctor told me not to do so.”

On Messi comparisons: “He’s just different. It’s ridiculous that they’re comparing awards, golden melons, whatever it is that they want to compare.”

On Santos asking for Neymar to be banned for 6 months: “As asking is free, they better ask for 6 years…”

On training with GPS vests: “It’s to make sure we don’t lose anyone.”

On whether he tells Sergi Roberto about his own experiences at right back: “I don’t tell players the stories of grandpa Luis Enrique, they’re outdated.”

On Juve’s rotation before the Champions League match: “I would recommend them to rest [Higuain], Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic (…) all these players against Barcelona. That’s what I would recommend and that way they would be much fresher for their league games. That’s my advice, but I don’t know if they will take it.”

On Messi’s influence: “Messi is decisive even when he is at home eating dinner.”

On whether he plans to watch the Madrid derby: “If I don’t take a nap I’ll watch it.”

On interest in Paco Alcacer: “I don’t normally comment on players that are not here. If I changed that rule I’d have to talk about 543 strikers and 200 more wingers who have been mentioned in the press.”

When a journalist fell asleep at his press conference: “Look, that’s never happened to me before, a guy sleeping in the press conference! It’s the first time (…) How great (…) Damn, I know the press conference of the manager is boring, but this much?”

On why he substituted Messi during the last few minutes of El Clasico: “Because Real Madrid fans paid to see the true legend.”

On his plans for the future: “I am open to any possibility, even changing sports. I could coach in another sport, I’m quite good at other sports.”

On next season: “I’ll sit in my seats at the Camp Nou and support the team.”

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Lionel Messi and his son, Mateo, celebrate the Copa Del Rey victory on May 27th, 2017

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lol

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♥♥

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It was a moment I will never forget. He went past me, I stuck out my leg and Lionel Messi went over. This was at Old Trafford in 2008 in the second leg of our Champions League semi-final against Barcelona and, with the score 1-0 to us, I had fouled him in our area.

When I think about our win over Barcelona in that game, on our way to the second Champions League title of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, I always remember that tackle. Yes, I scored the only goal of the tie, and it was one of my better ones. But I will never forget that couple of seconds when the best footballer in the world deceived me into fouling him and I waited for the world to fall in.

It should have been a penalty to Barcelona, and an away goal would have won them the tie. But for some reason the referee didn’t give it, the game moved on and even Messi did not make much of a fuss. - Paul Scholes.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

Leo Messi: Hello Hello 😍 Mateo 😉

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Let’s discuss

The cutest 💕

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Gerard Piqué with his partner and son, Shakira and Sasha

FCB Escola

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Gerard Pique , Shakira , Sasha , Leo Messi , Luis Suarez y Sofia Balbi en la revista Hola

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x

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Lionel Messi and a few little fans

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“To think that it has been more than 14 years ago when this little kid arrived at Barça, at 11 years old, with his twin Brother Eric accompanied by his parents Josep and Montse, with the biggest hope a kid could have, the hope of wearing and defending the shirt and colors of the Club he loved ever since he was born. Both of us with the same dream: Playing with FC Barcelona’s first team, we thought it was far fetched, maybe even impossible, but it my case, I finally achieved it.

Little by little, not spending time with my family and friends in order to be present in training or matches each week, seeing many teammates come and go every season, and each season that it happened was more complicated and the competition and demand was tougher in training and matches.

Until you grow up without noticing that the years flew by and the bad moments and the good ones kept coming, so it was time to decide whethe to continue studying or dedicate myself 100% to football or do both at la Masia. That is where I took the great step in all meanings. I can say that being at La Masia allowed me to give my all and be able to reach the Barça B team, and two years later, the dream I had a as kid, for which I had hoped and sacrificed a lot and fought for came true: Playing for the first team of FC Barcelona, with which I had the pleasure to live great moments and successes with the best team in the world, from the inside.

These 4 years as a first team players have been incredible, intense, hard, with brutal moments and others not brutal, but most of all unique and unforgettable. Thank you to every and each teammate I had, the best in the world, who allowed me to learn the best from them as professionals and people. With direct and indirect advices that I still hold onto to always keep growing even more. To all the people surrounding the players, coaches, directors, presidents, physicians, doctors, kitmen, delegates, chefs, and security staff, heads of press, workers at La Masia, and the Ciutat Esportiva.

And I would especially like to thank each and every one of you cules, the affecting and care you have shown me all those days I have lived in this home have helped me continue to push forward, to fight and give a sense to the work I did defending our colors.

I leave with my head held high, with the feeling of doing everything possible in each of the moments I was needed and giving my all in every training session and match. I continue on my road to keep growing, with Meli, little Gala and my people, who have been unconditionally there for me. Knowing that everything I have lived and everything that has happened have made me the man I am today and gave me the privilege to continue doing what I like, to continue achieving new challenges and credits that allow me to continue dreaming more than ever.  And mos of all, I am moving onwards with a cool head in order to coherently do what it takes, but keeping a flaming mind to continue evolving with passion and eagerness as a player and a person.

Despite the distance, I will still love and enjoy Barça as one more cule.  Continue believing to keep growing!”

-Marc

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“Do you know what makes me happy these days? Football has no memory, journalism has no memory, but if you look back to see what has been published before, you see that I’m the one with most assists to Messi. That’s history. In Messi’s 400th goal, the cross was mine. In Barca’s first Club World Cup, Leo’s decisive goal was from my cross. I’m accumulating things. People don’t think about it, but it’s like my personal album. When we retire, they’ll say: ‘Who has been the greatest in football? Messi. And who gave him the passes? Dani.’ My name will be there, it will annoy more than one person, but it will be there.”