The Argentine’s comments came after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann’s former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club.

Eric Olhats had accused Messi of having too much control at the club, saying his “reign of terror” had made life difficult for Griezmann to adapt since his arrival in 2019.

Messi returned to FC Barcelona from international duty with Argentina on Wednesday when he was accosted by reporters at the airport.

“The truth is that I’m a little tired of always being the problem for everything at the club,” he was quoted as saying by Spanish media.

“On top of that, after a 15-hour flight, I had the tax authorities waiting for me. It’s madness.”

Messi tried to activate a disputed clause to leave FC Barcelona for free in the off-season.

But he eventually decided to stay as he did not want to face a legal battle with the club.

FC Barcelona have been in turmoil since Bayern Munich humiliated the Spanish side 8-2 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last season.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned last month ahead of a vote of no confidence.

Messi has also had his run-ins with the Spanish tax authorities in recent years.

He was given a 21-month prison sentence in 2016.

The Argentina captain was also ordered to pay a fine of two million euros (2.37 million dollars) for defrauding the Spanish government of 4.2 million euros earned from image rights.

However, the 33-year-old did not serve any jail time after exchanging his sentence for a 250,000 euros fine.

In Spain, defendants without a previous conviction are permitted to serve any sentence of under two years on probation.

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The Brazilian defender however added that the Argentinian would never find a better home than the Catalan side.

Alves said he shared Messi’s concern over how Barca was being run under former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

He said the club should have showed more respect to their all-time top goalscorer, who threatened to walk out over the summer.

Messi eventually decided to stay with Barca as he did not wish to face a legal battle with the club.

But he is into the final year of his contract and can leave for free next June unless he signs a new deal.

“Messi is as great as the badge of FC Barcelona. But as he could see that everything around him was a disaster, it’s understandable that he wanted to leave,” Alves said on Friday.

“He has done so much that he deserves to have the stadium named after him.”

Brazilian right-back Alves, who spent years as Messi’s provider-in-chief at Barca and won three UEFA Champions League titles alongside him, also said he urged the forward to stay at the club.

“I told him not to leave Barca,” added Alves, 37, who left the club in 2016 to join Juventus and now plays for Brazilian side Sao Paulo.

“When the club was trying to get rid of me I told him so and he said to me ‘Don’t go, where could you go that is better than here?’.

“I told him the same thing (this summer). He didn’t reply but I know that he got the message.”

Barca have made a slow start to the La Liga season and have failed to win their last four outings, including losing 3-1 to Real Madrid last month.

“FC Barcelona has changed its philosophy so its normal that it’s having problems right now,” Alves added.

“It has lost its identity and now it has to go through a tough process to get it back.”

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He has however predictied a brighter future under new leadership and with plenty of young blood in the squad.

Bartomeu and his board of directors quit the club last week after six years at the helm in order to avoid a vote of no confidence from members.

They left a legacy of plenty of trophies but a steady decline in results and a dire financial situation.

“It was obvious the club was on a downward trend and that every year things were getting a little bit worse than the last,” Pique said after his side scraped a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

“We all know the situation the club is in right now. We’re going through a process of change which was badly needed.”

The club are currently in the hands of interim president Carles Tusquets, with elections due to be held within the next three months.

But Pique said the instability was no excuse for the team’s inconsistent performances of late.

Although they have a 100 percent record in the UEFA Champions League, the Catalans have made a terrible start to La Liga and have failed to win their last four matches.

“There’s no such thing as a transition year at FC Barcelona. We don’t have much time to make changes. But we need to make them if we are to improve,” he said.

“A new board of directors and president are coming soon and things will change in the next few months.”

Pique also admitted that his side are no longer among the top contenders to win the UEFA Champions League.

This is more evident in the light of their recent displays in the competition, above all the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in August.

But the Spain international was optimistic about the future of the team, thanks to the emergence of exciting young talents such as Ansu Fati and Pedri.

“It’s normal that people don’t think we are candidates any more after the last few years, but all we can do is keep on working.

“We have a good team full of good people and we have a lot of talent,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of new young faces who are bringing plenty of dynamism to the team.

“I can tell you from experience that the results will come soon. We believe we can still do great things.”

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Barca did not say how long Alba, who was not called up by Spain for their upcoming triple-header, will be missing.

But local media reported it was likely to be at least three weeks.

“Tests carried out this (Monday) morning have confirmed that Jordi Alba has a muscular injury in his right hamstring.

“He is out and his recovery will determine his availability,” the club said on social media.

Alba was forced off in the second half of Barca’s 1-1 draw at home to Sevilla on Sunday, with new signing Sergino Dest replacing him.

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Both the club and the league organisers had claimed that the release clause in the player’s contract still applies if he wants to leave the club.

Six-times world player of the year Messi insists he can leave on a free transfer while FC Barcelona, backed by La Liga, argue that the release clause must be paid.

La Liga responded to Jorge Messi’s letter with a statement reaffirming its support for FC Barcelona’s stance that Messi’s contract was still valid.

The 33-year-old Messi dropped a bombshell last month that he wanted to leave the club and that he could do so on a free transfer.

A further twist in the story that has gripped the sports world came as Argentina’s TYC Sports reported on their website that Messi had reluctantly agreed to stay with the Spanish club for another year.

Jorge Messi’s letter was written directly to La Liga president Javier Tebas and accuses La Liga of making an error in their interpretation of the contract.

“First, we do not know what contract you have analysed and on what grounds you conclude that there is a ‘release clause’ applicable in the case of him deciding to unilaterally end his contract from the end of the 2019/2020 season,” he wrote in a letter published on social media.

“Second, that doing so (reaching that conclusion) is founded upon a clear error on your part, as clause 8.2.3.6 of the contract signed between the club and the player explicitly says:

“This indemnity will not apply when the player’s decision to unilaterally rescind the contract is effective from the end of the 2019/2020 season,” he added.

“It is obvious that the compensation of 700 million euros, provided for in the previous clause… does not apply at all.”

La Liga originally issued a statement on Sunday, hours after Messi failed to attend a pre-season medical.

They said they would not approve a request for Messi to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause was met.

They underlined that stance in a further statement on Friday, in spite of Jorge Messi’s insistence that his son’s contract was no longer valid.

It means the frenzy of speculation about where Messi will play next season will continue unabated.

Should he leave FC Barcelona, Premier League club Manchester City are favourites to sign him, which would allow Messi to link up with his former Barca coach Pep Guardiola.

Although even the Abu Dhabi-owned club might find a 700 million-euro fee, plus Messi’s huge salary, a deal-breaker.

Messi, who has won more than 30 major trophies with the Spanish club and scored more than 600 goals, earns around one million euros per week.

Messi informed Barca last week he wished to leave immediately.

His decision plunged the club into new turmoil, less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 UEFA Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.

Messi’s lawyers intend to invoke a clause in his four-year contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed the forward to leave the club for free if he had requested it by June 10.

They will argue that that date — nominally the end of the season — is now irrelevant after the coronavirus pandemic forced an extension of the La Liga campaign deep into August.

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Messi rocked FC Barcelona last month when his lawyers told the club he wanted to activate a clause in his contract.

It is a clause that will allow him to leave for free before the 2020/2021 season.

The club disputed the claim, saying the clause expired on June 10, with La Liga also releasing a statement saying his contract was still valid.

But Font is not optimistic about convincing Messi to stay another year.

“I really hope the decision can be changed,” Font said.

“It doesn’t seem likely, though… If that’s the case, the focus should be on making the transition as smooth as possible.

“Messi loves the club and he wants to win, he wants to compete. He has been saying this for many, many years, it’s not just been for a few weeks.

“Unfortunately the club has not been able to deliver on the promise of building a competitive team.”

Messi, 33, last won the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona in 2015.

An 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last month was the final straw for the six-times world player of the year.

Messi, who failed to turn up for pre-season training on Monday, had previously labelled his side “weak” and “inconsistent” after surrendering the league title to rivals Real Madrid.

The club has spent millions on players in the transfer market who have not come good in recent years.

Transfer strategy is now something Font hopes to change if he is elected president.

“Currently you have the president, the chairman of the board and even some directors making decisions about signings, about selling players and that needs to be changed,” Font added.

He hopes to succeed president Josep Maria Bartomeu in the election next March.

“That’s why we’ve been working on a project and we need people to lead that who come from the world of football.”

Lionel Messi’s father and agent headed to FC Barcelona on Tuesday for what Argentine media said was a meeting with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Television pictures showed Jorge Messi boarding a private plane in Rosario.

The plane was destined for the U.S., from where he would proceed to Spain, local newspapers Ole and Capital de Rosario reported.

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Setien’s sacking was in response to the club’s ouster from the UEFA Champions League last week after an 8-2 drubbing by Bayern Munich.

This latest development is no doubt a follow-up.

Abidal, a double UEFA Champions League winner as a Barca player, had been in the role for over two years.

But he has now been let go after one of the club’s worst seasons in recent memory, in which they also surrendered the league title to Real Madrid.

The Frenchman was also the target of criticism from Lionel Messi earlier this year.

The Argentina captain had accused his former club team mate of blaming the squad for Ernesto Valverde getting sacked as coach last January.

Abidal joined Barca as a player in 2007 and became one of the club’s most popular players for enduring a battle with cancer, which forced him to undergo a liver transplant in 2012.

“The club would publicly like to thank Éric Abidal for his professionalism, commitment, dedication and the close and positive nature of his relationship with all aspects of the Barca family,” the club said in a statement.

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Flick said that the 19-year-old was rested as a precaution because he was suffering from “light adductor problems.”

Asked whether Davies could miss the game, Flick said: “We don’t think so.”

Canada’s Davies played an outstanding season for Bayern Munich and is needed in his best shape for the big game to help contain Lionel Messi, who likes to attack on that side.

Flick hopes he does not have to reshuffle his defence again, with right-back Benjamin Pavard still sidelined and Joshua Kimmich taking his place again in a move back from midfield.

Should Davies not be able to play, Lucas Hernandez would be a candidate for the position.

Bayern Munich are set to leave their training base in Lagos on the Algarve coast for Lisbon on Thursday.

The UEFA Champions League finals were to open later Wednesday and run until Aug. 23, with the Bavarians aiming for a sixth title.

Slovenia’s Damir Skomina will referee the one-legged tie, European football governing body UEFA has announced.

He was in charge when Bayern Munich beat Barca in the 2013 semi-final second leg en route to a treble, which they hope to repeat this year.

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They ended their disappointing 2019/2020 campaign on a high with a resounding 5-0 win at Alaves.

Barca finished the season second in the standings on 82 points, five points behind newly-crowned champions Real Madrid who drew 2-2 at Leganes later on Sunday.

Alaves came 16th on 39.

Teenage forward Ansu Fati put Barca in front midway through the first half after the visitors hit the woodwork three times.

Messi and strike partner Luis Suarez further stretched their side’s lead before half-time.

Defender Nelson Semedo hit the fourth early in the second half before Messi struck again, to end the campaign on 25 league goals.

The Argentina captain had four more goals than second top scorer Karim Benzema of Real Madrid.

Messi, who also finished as top marksman for a fourth consecutive season, eclipsed the benchmark he previously shared with the late Telmo Zarra.

But he said he would have rather have won the league.

“Individual prizes and objectives are secondary. It’s an important achievement to win it seven times, but I would have liked it to have been accompanied by the La Liga title,” Messi said.

Barca’s captain had made headlines on Thursday following his angry post-match interview after the 2-1 loss to Osasuna, blasting the team as weak and inconsistent.

He also appeared to criticise the running of the club.

But he was in a happier mood after the dominant performance against Alaves.

He said the team felt more confident ahead of next month’s UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg game with Napoli, which they host with the score tied at 1-1.

“Today we saw something else. It was a difficult game due to the situation we were in and the kick-off time and heat.

“But the team responded with a different attitude and showed great commitment,” Messi added.

“We took a long hard look at ourselves from the inside, which is what we needed to do. We have not had a good season in terms of performances or results, but today we took a step forward.

“It’s an important step for what’s coming next.”

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The La Liga title-holders said in a statement on Monday they have however gone on to sign Bosnian Miralem Pjanic from the Italian champions for 60 million euros.

The 23-year-old Melo, generally known simply as Arthur, will remain at the Camp Nou until the end of the 2019/2020 season before moving to Turin.

This has however been extended until August because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Pjanic, 30, will also move to the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign.

He will sign a four-year contract containing a release clause of 400 million euros, Barca’s statement said, adding that the Bosnian’s transfer fee was worth an additional five million in variables.

Bosnian international Pjanic has been at Juve since 2016, having previously played for AS Roma as well as French sides Olympique Lyonnais and Metz.

The transfer helps Barca meet their target of a further 70 million euros in revenues from player sales before June 30.

This is in line with the budget the club’s members approved last October which forecast income of 124 million euros from transfers.

FC Barcelona have the highest revenues in world football but their finances have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic had affected ticket sales, television rights and merchandising, leading the club to enact a 70 percent pay cut for players in April.

But the negotiation has attracted criticism from Spanish future presidential candidate Victor Font, who said the deal came about due to the club’s financial mismanagement.

“The deal once again proves the board’s absolute priority is to balance the books by letting key players go.

“The financial situation has been bad for many years, long before the pandemic,” he said on Twitter.

Barca did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Font’s words.

Arthur joined Barca from Brazilian side Gremio in July 2018 and was initially hailed as the heir to former club great Xavi Hernandez.

Lionel Messi had said then that he was surprised by the player’s similarities to the side’s former puppet master.

But in spite of a promising opening spell, Arthur made only 19 league starts in his first season with the club and 14 this campaign.

Coach Quique Setien said earlier this month that he had not lived up to expectations.

There were also issues off the field.

In March 2019, he apologised for travelling to Paris during the season to attend the birthday party of Brazil team mate Neymar.

Last December, Catalan television network said Arthur had gone snowboarding while sidelined with a groin injury.

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