Messi insists not leaving Barca, brands reports saying demanded coach Enrique's sacking 'lies'

Argentina football team captain Lionel Messi has insisted that he does not want to leave Barcelona and has branded the reports that claimed he demanded coach Luis Enrique's sacking as lies.

It had been reported that the Barca forward wanted to leave after a row with Enrique.

However, rubbishing the claims, Messi, after inspiring a 3-1 win over champions Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday, said that he has no intentions of leaving for any team, not Chelsea nor Manchester City, the BBC reported.

Messi insisted that he is tired of all the things that people have been saying, and added that he didn't ask the club to fire anyone.

Messi, who will find out on Monday if he has won a fifth Ballon d'Or, has spent his entire career at the Nou Camp, winning a host of team and individual honours since making his debut in 2004.

Spanish media had reported that Barca's record goalscorer might leave the Catalan club following reports of a training-ground row with Enrique, who took over last summer.

However, Messi said that people make it out as if he runs the club and that's not how it is, adding that he doesn't ask anyone to make decisions.

The Argentine insisted that everything that has been said is lies and he wants people to know that, claiming that everything that has been said is false.

Messi said that people say these things because they want to cause them harm, and added it hurts because it came from Barca people, insisting that they must be united.