Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has moved to quell speculation that Lionel Messi might be ready to quit the game imminently.
After he picked up a record sixth Ballon d’Or earlier this week, Messi said that his time at the top level could be drawing to a close, yet the Camp Nou boss believes that people are reading too much into the Argentine’s words.
The 32-year-old continues to operate at the pinnacle of the world game but suffered at the start of this season due to injuries. Nevertheless, he has scored nine times in nine Primera Division matches and has tallied 11 goals plus eight assists in all competitions.