Former Argentina coach reveals how he stole Messi from Spain

Lionel Messi is in a tough situation at the moment, on one hand, he loves his club and would always want to see them prosper but on the other hand, he is also very competitive and wants to win trophies every season. Barcelona cannot provide that for him at the moment as the club is going through a transitional phase and cannot possibly dream about playing as well as they used to a few years ago.

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This is something that Messi must accept if he wants to stay on with the Catalans but given his desire to leave last year, it does not look like he will be willing to stay anyway. It will be the task of the new president elected on the 7th of March to convince the Argentine to stay however, after looking at the recent string of results, it might be an impossible task.

Former Argentina coach, Jose Pekerman, in an interview with TNT Sports Continental, said that he had convinced Messi to make a similar choice during his reign as the manager of the Argentina national team. He said that the forward was having a tough dilemma about which team to choose but he could convince Messi to choose his home country over Spain and the legend went on to dedicate a Ballon d’Or to him.

When asked about what advice he would give to the player in this situation he said,

"“It is difficult to advise. There is no one apart from himself and his innermost circle to solve things. If we look at his career and all his choices to become what he was, the best advice is to unleash what he has always naturally wanted. As was his decision when we went looking for him and practically stole him from Spain.”Source Mundo Deportivo"

The former coach means a lot to Messi and his advice will surely be taken to heart. One thing is for sure, however, whether Messi decides to stay or leave the club, he will always be a club legend and his departure will not tarnish the 20-year legacy he built from the youth level of the club. The fans must respect his decision however, we would all love to see the best in the world end his career with the team that gave him everything.

Can Barca convince Messi to continue at the Nou Camp?