Lack of support could force Lionel Messi out of Barcelona

Former Barcelona star Dani Alves has come to the defence of Lionel Messi, saying he justified to be angry with the current situation at the club.

Barca relinquished their La Liga crown to arch-rivals Real Madrid last week and Messi was quick to hit out at “an erratic and weak team” and the boardroom following the meek loss to Osasuna.

Now, the lack of support he is receiving could force him to leave the Catalan giants, where he has been a player since he was 12-years-old.

Barca have lost six games in the league this season and sit seven points behind Real, and Messi has stalled on contract talks, prompting talk of a departure from Camp Nou, where the Argentine has become disillusioned with the they the club is operated.

“Leo is a natural winner. He doesn’t like losing,” Alves, who spent eight seasons at Barcelona while they dominated Spain and Europe, told Catalunya Radio. “When the team loses, it’s normal he gets angry, he always wants to win. Just like me. We always want to win.

“He’s been doing what he does for so long, he knows when a team gives one thing and when it gives another. That’s why he says what works and what doesn’t because he knows. He’s spent so many years at Barca, experienced so many things, and he knows exactly what the team needs to win. He sees, what I feel, a lack of support.”

Messi is the top scorer in the league this season with 23 goals and also tops the assist table by a significant margin with 20, therefore he has been directly involved in 43 of the 81 goals that Barca have scored this season.

“I’ll always say that Messi is the main course and we were the perfect ingredients for that plate. Now I have the feeling that he’s doing everything, all the time, and we must remember he’s only human,” said Alves.