Barcelona, July 21 (IANS) Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said on Thursday he has no doubts that retired Argentine star Lionel Messi is ready for the new football season as usual, despite the legal trouble and his position with his national team.
Enrique is convinced that issues that have nothing to do with football will not affect the performance of the Argentine, who had a judgment of 21 months in prison issued against him in recent weeks over charges of evading the payment of taxes of $4.5 million, reports Efe.
In the first press conference of the 2016-17 season, the coach said Messi's decision to end his international career does not concern him and believes that it will have a positive side effect on the player who will focus solely on Barça.
"It won't hurt Barcelona, as it means fewer and fewer trips to matches for Messi," he said.
--IANS
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