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Barcelona’s Leo Messi conundrum: He hates being on the bench

By Chiranjib Ghosh

BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 11: Lionel Messi of Barcelona sits on the bench prior to the UEFA Champions League Group B match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Camp Nou on December 11, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 11: Lionel Messi of Barcelona sits on the bench prior to the UEFA Champions League Group B match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Camp Nou on December 11, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
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Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde needs to be conservative now

In 2015, Lionel Messi had a high-profile fallout with then-manager Luis Enrique after he was left on the bench for a league game against Real Sociedad. He eventually came on to replace Pedro, but Barcelona still lost 1-0 after an early Jordi Alba own-goal.

This marked the beginning of the ‘curse of Anoeta’ which haunted Luis Enrique till the end of his tenure, as he failed to secure a victory away to Real Sociedad for the entirety of his reign. But it also showed that Leo Messi abhors the idea of warming the bench.

For a perfectionist like Messi who likes to improve with each game, the abrupt halting of that development is intolerable. The Argentine maestro is a team player on the pitch, but not so much off it. It is natural as he plays almost every game for Barça.

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This season, another example of his stubbornness was on display, as he insisted on playing the full 90 minutes against Athletic Bilbao and Real Valladolid despite not being at full fitness. It affected the side as Barça dropped 2 points against Athletic at San Mamés.

Going into the business end of the end, Barça are in a good position to secure the domestic double for the second consecutive season. The Champions League campaign also got a lot easier with the elimination of defending champions Real Madrid.

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But in order to excel in the important games, the first-team needs to be rested often. It has been a stressful season, especially for the last few weeks. The fixture list has been congested in recent times. That is likely to be the case for the rest of the season.

The Champions League action will pick up soon, and some of the big teams are still in contention. Key first-team players cannot be risked in league games against smaller opposition. This is the harsh reality, and Leo Messi has to accept that.

Ernesto Valverde fielded a tired first-team against Roma in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final last season, and Barça suffered an ignominious exit as a result. If the club are to win the treble, Valverde will need to keep risks to a minimum.

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But whatever team selection policy that the Basque coach adopts, he will need to keep the club captain happy. So, it will need to be a delicate balance when it comes to minutes for Leo Messi. Valverde is going to be walking on a tightrope in the coming months.