Messi refuses to comment on Ronaldo situation

Lionel Messi has refused to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo's quotes that he is unhappy at Real Madrid.

The Barcelona superstar claims that it has nothing to do with him, and avoided speaking about the situation when asked about the talented winger.

“That's something Ronaldo said,” he told a press conference in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. “There's no reason to ask me about what he says and vice-versa. It's nothing to do with me. I do not have to answer questions about that.”

Instead, the Argentine striker chose to focus on his country's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, for which Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero will be missing.

“No Aguero? That's bad for the team. Losing a player like that is bad for any team. Personally, I love playing next to Kun.

“I respect the coach's decision [to leave out Tevez]. If Carlos returns to the team, he will be welcome, but the decision is the coach's.”

The 25-year-old concluded by confirming that he is enjoying playing for Argentina, despite rumours that the fans are yet to be won over by the Blaugrana man.

“The team is playing well, and I am happy with how things are going. We are winning games and winning them playing good football. I just want to play for the fans - they are always supportive to me.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Messi, according to Joao Pereira

Valencia right-back Joao Pereira has turned up the heat ahead of his side's clash with Barcelona by declaring that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Lionel Messi.

The 28-year-old, who moved to the Mestalla from Sporting Lisbon this summer for €3.6 million, believes his countryman is a more complete footballer in comparison with the 2011 Ballon d'Or winner.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi because he is more complete,” Pereira theorised to Mundo Deportivo.

"Tomorrow [the game against Barcelona], anything can happen, even us scoring, then holding on to win. It will be a difficult test, but we will do our best."

Los Che coach Mauricio Pellegrino could be without injured midfield duo Fernando Gago and Jeremy Mathieu, pending late fitness tests.

Heartbroken Messi unable to bring himself to attend press conference confirming Guardiola's departure

The Argentine has been left devastated by the news that the 41-year-old coach will be leaving Camp Nou at the end of the season and wanted to hide his grief from the press

An emotional Lionel Messi has confessed that he was unable to bring himself to attend the press conference at which Pep Guardiola confirmed his decision to step down as Barcelona boss because he has been left stricken with grief.

Guardiola informed his players that he would be quitting the club at the end of the season before then announcing his imminent departure to the media.

There was some surprise that the Blaugrana's star forward was not in attendance but Messi explained that the occasion would have been too much for him.

"I wholeheartedly want to thank Pep for everything he has given me in my professional career and personal life," the Argentina international wrote on his Facebook page.

"But due to the emotion I feel, I preferred not to be present at Pep's press conference, especially because I knew that they [the press] would have been focusing on the faces of the grieving players and this is something that I did not want to show."

Guardiola, who will be replaced at the helm by current assistant coach Tito Vilanova, has led Barca to 13 titles since taking charge of the club in 2008.

Guardiola: Messi's form doesn't worry me

Pep Guardiola has stressed that he is not concerned about Lionel Messi's form ahead of the second leg of Barcelona's Champions League semi-final tie against Chelsea at Camp Nou on Tuesday evening.

The Argentine was unable to find the back of the net in the 1-0 loss against the Blues last week and in the 2-1 Clasico loss to Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

Despite the mini drought, Guardiola feels there is no reason to worry ahead of Tuesday's return.

"I never allow myself to be concerned about Messi. Not even if he doesn’t score for 27 matches," Guardiola stated at a press conference.

"I give him tranquillity and the right to not have to score goals until he wants to. He’s scored a brutal amount of goals this season.

"Let him play, be happy and be who he’s always been. His ambition helps us all."

The match at Camp Nou kicks off at 20.45CET.

Barcelona not dependent on Messi, insists Pique

Gerard Pique has rejected the accusation that Barcelona are dependent on star forward Lionel Messi.

The Argentina international bagged both goals in the win over Levante on April 14 but has failed to net in his last two subsequent outings, against Chelsea and Real Madrid, and Barca lost both games.

However, Pique does not believe that the Blaugrana are a one-man team and that nullifying Messi effectively means stopping Barcelona.

"Rival teams know about our strike force," the centre-back told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

"Messi helps us a lot but this is a team and we have other players who can score and decide a game. I don't believe in a Messi-dependency."

Pique also denied that Barca might have a mole in their camp after the line-up for Saturday's Clasico and the fact that Lionel Messi had sat out training on Sunday were both allegedly leaked to the press over the weekend.

"I don't think there is a leaks issue," the Spain international argued. "I don't think any one of the players would do that.

"The boss [Pep Guardiola] gives the starting line-up, we train and after that there are so many people talking so much, that it's difficult for it not to get to the press."

Turning his attention to Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea, Pique is hoping that he is recalled to the starting line-up after sitting out the 2-1 defeat by Madrid because he enjoys testing himself against Didier Drogba.

"I have dealt with him on many occasions," he mused. "He is one of the best players I've seen.

"He is very complete and has been competing at the highest level for many years. I think it will be a very difficult duel - if I'm on the field, of course."

Drogba was criticised for the ease in which he went to ground in last week's first-leg clash at Stamford Bridge but Pique was reluctant to accuse the Ivorian of diving.

"I don't think we should criticise him," the former Manchester United defender opined. "If he keeps doing it then we'll see, but I believe in Drogba and in his honesty."

Barca's second-leg clash with Chelsea gets under way at Camp Nou on Tuesday at 20.45CET.

WORLD CUP 2010: MESSI FOR SOUTH KOREA

Argentina star set to inspire team

Lionel Messi and a vast array of offensive talent are major reasons Argentina is considered a favourite to win a third World Cup title in South Africa. Capitalizing on scoring chances is going to be key if the squad plans on accomplishing that lofty goal.

Messi looks for get Argentina’s offensive play going when it meets South Korea in Johannesburg today. Argentina opened the World Cup with a 1 – 0 win over Nigeria on Saturday, as defender Gabriel Heinze scored on a diving header in the 6th minute. La Albiceleste failed to add to that despite holding a 7 – 1 advantage in shots in goal.

“We should not forgive, that’s what I told them after the match,” coach Diego Maradona said. “In football, to forgive is to pay”.

Messi will be relied upon to drive Argetina’s offensive play again, but he may be looking for some results of his own. The playmaking forward came up empty on eight shots – four on net – and he hasn’t scored for the national team since a 2 – 1 loss at Spain on Nov. 14, 2009.

Despite his struggles scoring for La Albiceleste, Messi is again expected to start behind forwards Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain.

“The only thing I tell Leo is that he should have fun playing football. He should not feel any pressure when he is playing,” Tevez said about the 22-year-old FIFA player of the year.

Production from Tevez and Higuain might take some pressure off Messi. Tevez and Higuain had 29 goals each for Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively, last season.

Diego Milito, who had 30 goals in all competitions for Italy’s Inter, is expected to be available off the bench.

“This team doesn’t just depend on me,” Messi said. “There are many players who can determine a match.”

South Korea is coming off another tournament-opening victory, 2 – 0 over Greece on Saturday. It held a 16 – 6 shot advantage and never appeared to be in much danger.

Your comments are highly appreciated….

Argentina 1 - 0 Nigeria

Heinze heads winner

Diego Maradona's World Cup debut as a coach ended in a victory as Lionel Messi started to demonstrate he could transform his club form at Barcelona to the world stage.

• Messi makes his mark
• Maradona tastes success

Gabriel Heinze headed in the only goal after five minutes but Messi, so often unable to reproduce the Nou Camp sparkle on national team duty, was his team's star. However he and his team-mates were unable to make the margin of victory a more convincing one as Vincent Enyeama in the Nigeria goal denied them time and again.

Whether Argentina could waste so many chances against better sides and get away with it remains to be seen, but for now Maradona must be satisfied to have put three points on the board in Group B.

Messi made a lively start and one mesmerising run from deep saw him ghost past three Nigeria defenders and pick out Gonzalo Higuain with a low cross, but the Real Madrid striker sidefooted an easy chance wide from close range. The Barcelona forward then had a goalbound curling shot tipped over by Enyeama.

But from the resulting corner Argentina went ahead, with five minutes played. Juan Sebastian Veron swung the ball in from the right and Marseille defender Heinze, running towards the penalty spot, sent a powerful diving header into the top left corner.

Messi was then allowed to cut in from the right, leaving Chinedu Obasi on his backside and his curling left-footed shot was destined for goal until Enyeama at full stretch parried it away.

Messi and Carlos Tevez were causing confusion for the Nigerians by taking turns to drop deep and move forward, and when the Manchester City man received the ball in a deeper position after 20 minutes his through-ball found Higuain bursting into the box but Enyeama dashed out to make the block.

Sani Kaita miscued an attempted volley wide for the Africans who stepped up the pressure for a short period. Neat passing from Dickson Etuhu and Ayegbeni Yakubu created an opening for Obasi but his low cross was just too far ahead of Yakubu as the Everton man tried to slot it home.

Messi again tested Enyeama to the limit with another curling effort destined for the right-hand corner of the goal but the goalkeeper stretched out his left hand to claw the ball away.

Walter Samuel headed a presentable chance over the top from a Veron corner six minutes into the second half and the Inter Milan defender almost released Angel Di Maria with a long ball but the Benfica man could not bring it under control.

Messi won a corner after a pacy dribble took him away from the Nigeria defence, with Chidi Odiah blocking his effort. A swift break at the other end saw substitute Obafemi Martins square the ball to Kaita, but his 30-yard shot was far too ambitious and sailed over.

The game was becoming more stretched and Tevez strode forward before picking out Messi, whose low left-footed shot was just wide and the Barca man then teed up Higuain, whose shot was again blocked by the ever-alert Enyeama.

Argentina's failure to kill the game off almost cost them as Peter Odemwingie played the ball inside to left-back Taye Taiwo, and his thunderous low effort had the beating of Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero but just skidded wide of the right post.

Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero then had to punch clear a shot from Martins as the 'Jabulani' World Cup ball threatened to make a mug of him with its changes of movement in the air.

It was clearly not going to be Messi's afternoon to score as Enyeama spread himself to block after a wonderful interchange with Di Maria as the game entered its final 10 minutes.

Nigeria could have levelled seconds later when Yakubu's cross from the right found substitute Kalu Uche, but the Almeria midfielder struggled to get over the ball and could not keep his left-footed shot down, and Yakubu drilled another shot over the top from long range with three minutes left. But it was Argentina's day as the early Heinze effort proved the difference.