• La Liga

Messi relationship with Enrique 'ruptured', say reports

Lionel Messi's working relationship with Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has reported to have "ruptured" beyond repair after the Argentine trained alone on Tuesday.

Speculation in Spain continues to grow after Barcelona said Messi missed Monday's open training session for fans due to a "tummy bug". He and Enrique are believed to have argued both before and after Sunday's 1-0 La Liga defeat at Real Sociedad, in which Messi came on as a second-half substitute.

Widespread reports say Enrique wanted to fine Messi for his no-show but was persuaded by senior players, including Xavi Hernandez, not to make a big deal of the incident, while the club allegedly used the excuse of gastroenteritis to attempt to cover for his absence.

The issue is so serious that Wednesday's cover of Catalan daily Sport read: "Rupture - Luis Enrique and Messi do not even talk."

In Madrid, AS claims four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, who continues to be linked with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City, has already given a "He goes or I go" ultimatum to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Messi had recovered sufficiently to come to Barca's training ground on Tuesday, when the rest of the squad had the day off. He was also at training on Wednesday morning, when Xavi and other senior players Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were reportedly due to talk with their team-mate and try and ease the tension.

El Pais says that Enrique's policy of not building a close relationship with individual players has been hard to take for Messi, who was very carefully handled by former bosses Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino.

Other figures who shared the 27-year-old's outlook, including experienced kitman Txema Corbella and Argentine physiologist Marcelo D'Andrea, are no longer around.

The issue comes amid the latest institutional chaos at the Camp Nou, with Bartomeu firing sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on Monday, and his assistant Carles Puyol then deciding to leave the club apparently in sympathy with his friend and colleague.

However, former Barca president Joan Gaspart feels otherwise. He told Al Partido de las 12 radio: "I do not believe that the relationship between Messi and the coach is bad. I will believe it when Messi or Luis Enrique tells me personally.

"I am going to sleep very relaxed that my great superstar, the man I signed myself, Leo Messi, and Luis Enrique are good companions and the only differences are the typical ones which I experienced in 25 years as a Barcelona director.

"I do not believe they are unhappy, or fighting. If they are it would be for a small matter, which I do not even believe."

Gaspart said he believed Enrique's future as Barcelona coach would not be decided on the closeness of his relationship with the squad.

"I am sure that Luis Enrique will fulfil his contract, but I must recognise that [for] any coach in world football depends a lot on results," he added. "Anyway, to think about getting rid of a coach who is one point off the Liga leader, through to the last 16 of Champions League and Copa del Rey is a lot."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd