Ronald Koeman said Barcelona showed Lionel Messi that the club has a bright future, despite being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Messi, 33, scored in the 1-1 draw in Paris, leaving the competition in the round of 16 for the first time since 2007, after a total loss of 5 to 2.
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It may be Messi’s last European game with Barça colors if he decides not to renew his contract when it ends in June, but Koeman believes that recent improvements may convince him to stay.
“Leo has noticed for some time that the team is improving with the changes we have made,” said the Barça coach after leaving the Champions League.
“We have young people of quality and great future to join the team, so it is not a question of having doubts about what this team is capable of.
“But only he can decide his future. Nobody can help him. He can see that this side has a great future, so that is not an argument for him. [leave]. “
Messi wanted to leave last August, after the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich at UCL. He said “there was no project” at the club and criticized the board and the president responsible at the time.
Both Manchester City and PSG are interested in signing him if he leaves Barca this summer, sources have already told ESPN.
However, with Joan Laporta replacing Josep Maria Bartomeu as club president this week and Barça showing signs of improvement since the turn of the year, there is renewed hope that he can stay.
Koeman’s faith in young players such as Pedri and Ilaix Moriba changed the mood at the club and Barça have been unbeaten for 16 league games and advanced to the Copa del Rey final, although they have been comfortably eliminated from the Champions League by PSG at the end.
After a 4-1 loss at Camp Nou in the first leg, hopes of an unlikely turnaround were further complicated when Kylian Mbappe gave PSG the advantage by taking a penalty on Wednesday.
Messi drew with Barça in the night, but missed a penalty at the end of the first half. Ousmane Dembele had already lost two good chances and Sergino Dest hit the bar when Koeman’s team started to fight.
“We were eliminated, which is what counts in this sport, but we also have a good feeling because we had a chance to complicate things for PSG,” added Koeman.
“We didn’t get the reward that our first half deserved. We dominated PSG and created a lot of chances. But we didn’t take advantage of them. After going to the break at 1-1, it became more difficult.
“The result of the first leg was excessive. PSG was very clinical. That was the big difference. We created more of them here than they did in Barcelona, but they scored more.
“But I cannot blame the team. They made a great effort. We also lacked a little luck and their goalkeeper [Keylor Navas] was the man of the game. “
Striker Antoine Griezmann has asked Barça to use performance as a springboard to win Copa del Rey and La Liga, where he is currently second in the table, six points behind leaders Atlético Madrid.
“We are upset because we wanted to move on, but performance gives us confidence,” said Griezmann. “We played very well and we had four very clear chances, in addition to the penalty, but we just couldn’t take advantage of them.
“We wanted to have a great performance, give our best, but it was not. We still have the League and the Cup; that is the goal now.”