Koeman: I am not confident but I am hopeful Messi will stay at Barça

Ronald Koeman is happy to have Lionel Messi in his Barcelona squad. When he arrived, there was a serious chance that would not be so. But the soap opera over Messi's future ended with him staying and, after a more discrete start to the season than usual, the Argentina forward is in good form. 

Koeman has spoke about what went on and about what he said to Messi when his future was up in the air. "I said to Leo, ‘I’m really happy if you stay. If you don’t stay, it’s your decision and it’s what you have to handle with the club," the Dutchman said in an interview with The Athletic. 

“I spoke to him in his house before we started the season and I made plans with him and he was really enthusiastic. Little by little, he accepted that situation. And look how he is playing in the last few weeks, he is really involved in the club, in the team. But, nobody knows what will happen in the future.

"I still don’t see Leo Messi in another shirt other than the Barca shirt. I’m not confident about [him staying. I’m hopeful, yes, about this because he’s still a great player and he’s still winning matches for us, for the team. I’m enjoying being his coach, if you look at his qualities every day in the training sessions, it’s incredible." 

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