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Barça hero Iniesta likely to extend contract

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta says he wants to stay on at the Catalan club "for a long time" after his current contract expires in 2018.

Published: 26 December 2016 12:33 CET

Barça hero Iniesta likely to extend contract

File photo: Josep Lago/AFP

“In 2018 my contract ends and my desire is to continue, the whole world knows this, it is no secret. But my level of performance will determine if I can stay at Barça. I hope it will be for a long time,” the 32-year-old said in an interview with sports daily Mundo Deportivo.

Barcelona recently reached a deal to extend the contract of Uruguay striker Luis Suarez to June 2021. His previous deal was due to expire in 2019.

In October, the club also extended the contract of Brazilian superstar Neymar until 2021 and they have already started talks to seal a new deal with Lionel Messi.

Along with Messi, Iniesta is Barcelona's most decorated player ever with 29 trophies, but he is even more loved across Spain for his winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.

Iniesta is second behind only former teammate Xavi Hernandez as the player to have made most Barca appearances.

He is also hopeful coach Luis Enrique will renew his contract with Barcelona when his current deal expires at he end of the season.

“He is very motivated, I hope we can remain together and keep celebrating things, which is what we all want,” Iniesta said.

Barça have also already tied down Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano to contract extentions this year.

'Complete bombshell': Messi tells Barça he wants to leave

Photo: AFP

Lawyers for the Argentina star sent Barça a fax in which they announced Messi's desire to rescind his contract by triggering a release clause, sending shockwaves throughout the world of football.

However, the club maintains the clause expired in June and that he remains under contract until the end of the 2021 season.

“In principal, this clause expired on June 10th, but the unusual nature of this season disrupted by the coronavirus opened the way for Messi to ask to be released from his contract now,” wrote Spanish sports daily Marca.

“It's the first step towards opening negotiations over his departure, on the basis of which his release clause amounts to 700 million euros.”

Messi joined Barça's youth academy at the age of 13 and made his debut for Barça in 2004 as a 17-year-old.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is the club's record scorer with 634 goals and has won the Champions League four times.

But his future at Barça was thrown into doubt following a humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon 11 days ago.

The humbling defeat sparked drastic changes within the club. Coach Quique Setien was sacked after barely six months in charge while sporting director Eric Abidal was also dismissed after Barça's first season without a trophy since 2007.

Argentine sports daily Ole described Messi's wish to leave as a “complete bombshell”, but the Argentine has had regular disagreements with the club's board in recent times.

'More out than in'

According to Spanish media, Messi met with new Barça coach Ronald Koeman last week and told the Dutchman he saw himself “more out than in” the club.

Since his appointment Koeman has reportedly told Luis Suarez he is no longer part of Barça's plans, delivering a similar message to Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti.

Bayern's demolition simply exposed Barça's ageing team for what Messi has been saying all along: they are simply not good enough.

He said it in February and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, but honest, assessment of their season.

As his relationship with the club hierarchy grew increasingly strained, Messi also reacted publicly when Abidal appeared to blame the players for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde in January.

He also led the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dispute with the board in March regarding pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend,” tweeted Barça great Carles Puyol, a long-time former team-mate of Messi.

“When you shut a tiger in a cage, he doesn't give in he fights back,” tweeted Vidal.

Messi's reported salary of nearly one million euros per week would limit the number of potential suitors, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan three clubs linked with an audacious swoop for one of football's all-time greats.

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