Lionel Messi was understandably distraught after Barcelona’s shock 2-1 defeat to Osasuna this evening, with rivals Real Madrid winning their tie this meant the Catalan outfit lost the La Liga title race.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner pulled no punches in his post-match interview with ESPN and Sport’s Samuel Marsden sharing the 33-year-old’s damning comments.
Messi admitted that the fans are ‘running out of patience’, with the side not ‘giving them anything’, the superstar attacked was clear as he stated that ‘a lot has to change’ at the club.
Quique Setien’s side were ahead in the title race before the Coronavirus pandemic led to the halt of world sports.
Since the restart they’ve slipped up with three draws and a loss, with six games won – Madrid on the other hand have won all 10 of their La Liga encounters in this period.
Messi: "We have to be self-critical, starting with the players, but across the whole club."
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) July 16, 2020
Messi also referenced the side’s collapse in the Champions League against Liverpool last year, where they famously wasted away a 3-0 advantage in a 4-0 loss at Anfield.
The Argentine attacker, who has performed sensationally this season, also cited the Quarter-Finals defeat to Roma in the 2017/18 Champions League campaign as cause for concern.
Messi was straight up as he admitted that Barcelona ‘will’ lose against Napoli in their second-leg when Europe’s elite club competition returns next month if things don’t change.
The superstar wasn’t just talking about the first-team’s performances, Messi wants a shake-up and problems solved ‘across the whole club’.