FCBARCELONA.CAT

23.02.2007 18:22

Messi: “We’re not dead”

Lionel Messi calls for optimism. The Argentinian says that the fans must have belief in the teams’ capacity to over turn the first leg deficits in the Cup and the European Cup.

Following three long months on the sidelines due to an injury to his left leg, Messi played his first minutes of football against Racing and then played the entire game against Liverpool. The Barça number ‘19’ says that although he felt a little bit tired, it felt good to be back playing at Camp Nou: “It’s been a long time since a played an entire 90 minutes so I guess it was normal that I felt more tired than usual.”

Both comebacks are feasible

The Argentinian forward believes that Barça can turn things around against both Zaragoza and Liverpool. Messi says Barça are still very much alive: “We’re not dead. The fans must have belief in us - we know we can come back. If we win in Zaragoza we will be in good shape for the tough games after that”. Messi added that “we must show we are a great team and we must be strong and united to face the coming games with confidence”.

Loyal to Ronaldinho

In the face of the criticism that has emerged in the media regarding the performances of Ronaldinho, Leo Messi jumped to his defence: “I think he’s fine. When the team isn’t going well perhaps it’s easier to criticise him, but we he scores two goals, he is the best in the world. That’s the reality. He has scored 16 goals and I don’t understand why people complain about his performance.”

Athletic Club, on the up

This Sundays rival (21h00) will be Athletic Club Bilbao. The Basque side led by José Manuel Esnal Mané has been improving of late since the arrival of the ex-Alaves coach. Messi knows that it will be a difficult game but one that he wants to win at all costs: “Athletic Club are a very well organised team and recently they have been moving away from the relegation zone. Nonetheless, we want to win this game badly and show the public that we are still going strong.”