Argentina president Alberto Fernandez had told Lionel Messi to head home and play for Newell’s Old Boys amid huge speculation about the Barcelona captain’s future.
Messi seems determined to leave the Camp Nou this summer. He’s told the club he wants to go and failed to report for PCR testing on Sunday ahead of pre-season.
Fernandez spoke about the situation in a television interview and urged Messi to come back to Argentina.
“You’re in all of our hearts and we’ve never been able to watch you play in our country, give us the pleasure of coming to finish your career at Newell’s Old Boys, which is your club.