Francisco José 'Lobo' Carrasco says he fears for Lionel Messi's future at the Camp Nou after tensions boiled over at the club on Tuesday.
Ex-Barcelona player Francisco José 'Lobo' Carrasco says he fears for Lionel Messi's future at the Camp Nou in the wake of the Argentine's public war of words with the club's sporting director, Éric Abidal.
Former Spain international Carrasco, who one LaLiga title, three Copas del Rey and three Cup Winners' Cups in 11 years in the Barça first team, told the Spanish television programme 'El Chiringuito': "He's ill at ease.
"I've never had to say this: in all the years I've been watching him and have loved the way he plays [...], it's the first time Messi has looked to me like he has one foot out of the door."
On Tuesday, Messi hit back at Abidal for telling an interview in the Catalan media that some players "weren't working hard" under former Barça boss Ernesto Valverde, writing on Instagram: "I think that when someone mentions players, they should give names because if they don't, they are tarring everyone with the same brush and fuelling gossip - a lot of which is not true."
The row comes amid Barça's unimpressive start to life under Valverde's replacement, Quique Setién, in a spell which has seen the Blaugrana narrowly avoid Copa del Rey embarrassment against third-tier Ibiza and slip three points off the top of LaLiga.
elgalactico
569
Abidal is a legend I agree, but publiy insulting a club going through a rough patch, when he should've been supporting them through their hard times was not the right move.