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Former Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia believes that Lionel Messi could carry on playing until 2025 with ease.
LaLiga ambassadors Garcia and Frederick Kanoute spoke to a host of journalists across India in an event organised by LaLiga Santander. The Spanish and the Malian-French footballers discussed their views and opinions on the season.
Garcia is of the firm belief that Messi, the skipper of the Catalan club, can continue playing for years to come. The UEFA Champions League winner cites Messi's intelligence and ability to continually adapt as the main reasons which will allow him to play for a longer time.
Speaking on the Barcelona captain, Garcia explained;
"The way he [Lionel Messi] is playing, adapting his style to the game is impressive. Every year he shows us something different but keeps up the same amount of goals, of assists. Even getting more every year!"
He continued,
"He’s adapting, he doesn’t spend so much time up front because he knows it’s harder, so he drops a little more. He shows why he’s so intelligent. He adapts his game to what the team needs in every game. I could see him playing in 2025, easily!"
Fellow LaLiga ambassador Kanoute weighed in with his opinion on the Barcelona icon as well. He showered the Argentine with praise for his immaculate ability to 'think a step ahead of everybody,' saying;
"[Lionel] Messi for now is still here. We should not say he is too old or whatever. What he is doing week in and week out is amazing. He will have to adjust a little bit his game and he has already done so. He is thinking a step ahead of everybody. He is very decisive in all games we have played. We will still enjoy Messi for a few years."
Messi has been linked with a shock move away from Barcelona due to the ongoing crisis at the club. The Catalans are on the brink of surrendering the LaLiga title to Real Madrid, and there have been a host of controversial events at the Nou Camp. The public spat between Messi and Eric Abidal, the criticism of Quique Setien and Eder Sarabia, and the deal to swap Arthur for Miralem Pjanic are just a few of these events.
However, Garcia hopes for Messi to stay in LaLiga with Barcelona until the end of his career. Speaking on Messi's future, the 42-year-old former winger opined;
"I would love to see Messi in LaLiga and Barcelona of course. Even though sometimes people think they struggle, that's part of the game. I hope he stays."
The LaLiga ambassador continued,
"His home. All the supporters love him not only in Barcelona but around the world. All [of us] enjoy watching him play, so hopefully he can stay many years."
Barcelona's imminent title defeat could serve as a much-needed wake-up call for the Catalans' hierarchy, who have come under fire in recent seasons. The Blaugrana sit four points behind Real Madrid with just two full rounds of fixtures left to play.
'VAR is there to help the referees,' insists Garcia
Another topic that has been heavily debated upon is the implementation and execution of VAR. The video technology has been used in Spain since the 2018/19 season and has made headlines particularly since the restart of football.
Many prominent figures such as Barcelona veteran Gerard Pique and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu have spoken out regarding their opinions on VAR. They appear to suggest that the decisions given (or not given) by VAR have not been equal, with Real Madrid getting more decisions in their favour.
Speaking on VAR, LaLiga ambassadors Garcia and Kanoute expressed their respective opinions about the purpose of the technology.
The former Atletico Madrid and Liverpool legend expressed;
"The thing about VAR is whether the decisions have been right or wrong. The decisions that VAR has taken, I think they all have been good. Maybe you can have a couple of decisions you have doubts over. But at the end, we have to understand that VAR is there to try and help the referees."
The LaLiga ambassador, who played for a handful of Spanish clubs, feels that the subjectivity of the decisions is a part of the beauty of football.
"Of course, we all love controversy. Before it was VAR, there was goal-line technology and people will talk. Now, VAR is here, but people will talk anyway. So at the end, that's the beauty of football. Some people will see a challenge as a red card and some other won't see it like that [as a red card]."
Garcia also understands the concerns raised by the likes of Pique and Bartomeu regarding the alleged favouritism with VAR decisions. However, he also believes that VAR is here to help and that it's about people coming to terms with it. He said,
"I understand that Gerard Pique and the president of the club complain if things aren't going their way. But it is the way it is and VAR is a good tool if you know how to use it. The important thing is that it's helping and I think it's helping. Hopefully, at the end, almost agrees with VAR."
Kanoute, a renowned striker for Sevilla in his heyday, then proceeded to deliver his assessment of VAR. He explained;
"I've said in the past that I'm not 100% convinced [with VAR]. Not because of the VAR when I think about it but about how at the end of the day, it will always come down to human interpretation. So we cannot expect VAR to solve all the problems. It's meant to help the referees and it's doing its job, but we cannot expect to not have a single error."
LaLiga Santander is set to come to an end soon with just two rounds of fixtures left to play. Real Madrid look imperious and appear unlikely to drop points in their remaining games. Should they capture the title, it would be their first LaLiga trophy since 2017 and their 34th league title overall.
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