Messi denies rumours of rift with club

FC Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has denied trying to destabilise the club or ask for coach Luis Enrique to be sacked.

The striker spoke to the club' s TV channel after Barcelona's 3-1 win against reigning champions Atletico de Madrid.

He played a major role, scoring one goal and helping set up the other two for forwards Neymar and Luis Suarez, bringing a difficult week to an end, reports Xinhua.

In the wake of the previous week's defeat against Real Sociedad, Messi had been accused of asking for Enrique to be sacked and was linked to a possible transfer to one of England's clubs.

Barcelona faced further turbulence in the week when Andoni Zubizarreta, director of sport, was sacked and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced that elections would be held at the end of the season.

"I'm glad I can give my version of events," said Messi.

"I've had to listen to how I don't get on with a lot of people and I didn't deny anything, because it's always been said I don't get on with people such as Pep Guariola, Bojan, Zlatan Ibrahimovich and so on."

"I did not say anything that people said I did. I would never do that," insisted the striker, who was angry that stories were being spread to harm the club.

"There are people who want to cause us damage, who throw this rubbish at us and the attacks don't come from Madrid, but from Barcelona and that hurts."

Messi also quashed rumours of trying to force his way out of the club terming all the media reports as "false".

"I am tired of all of the things that are being commented, both before and now," he remarked.

"I have no intention of going anywhere, neither to Chelsea nor to Manchester City. Everything that has been said is a lie and I want people to know that everything that was said is false," insisted Messi.