With Pep Guardiola biding his time to decide on his future, Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi hopes his mentor will stay with the squad for the long haul.
Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, Barcelona have enjoyed immense silverware success, collecting 13 titles out of the 16 possible.
However, the master tactician’s future at the Camp Nou seems clouded as he refused to sign a contract extension which has a deadline date of June 30th.
In the wake of recent events, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 became the latest player to come out in the open and urge Guardiola to sign a contract extension with the Camp Nou-based outfit.
The Argentinean captain stated he has no idea when the ongoing contract signing saga will end, and hopes that the former AS http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Roma-c31603 player stays with the club. The pint-sized attacker added that he is awaiting Guardiola’s response like everyone else.
"I do not know what he is thinking," the forward told La Red. "We are awaiting the decision he will take.
"But I hope he stays much longer. It would be best for us. It's a situation he has to think about, though, and every year, he has done the same."
It has been reported that http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marcelo-c23554 Bielsa, as a potential managerial incumbent if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer.
Bielsa has shown his pedigree as a top coach, taking http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Athletic-Club-c38535 to the brink of UEFA Champions League qualification and a place in the current Copa del Rey final.
Messi has served under the supervision of Bielsa in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Argentina-c2841 and believes he will be a worthy replacement.
"It is wonderful that things are going so well for Bielsa".
"I have always said that he is a coach that I like. Many say that he is very similar to Guardiola."
The Argentinean international also talked about Barcelona’s title contention and the 10-point gap between La Blaugrana and current table toppers, Real Madrid. He reflected that the race for the Spanish crown is all but over.
"Realistically, it's difficult," he conceded. "There are many points between us and, beyond that, they have demonstrated that they are very good.
"They are very strong, but we have no choice but to fight to the end."
Messi is currently preparing with the rest of Albiceleste squad for the international friendly against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Switzerland-c3016 scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
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