MADRID: Barcelona reaffirmed on Thursday that they are not obligated to release Lionel Messi so that the Argentine striker can represent his national team at the Olympics next month as demanded by world football governing body FIFA. In a statement posted on their website, the Spanish club said “current FIFA regulations do not oblige clubs to release their players.” “Moreover, the club have reiterated their proposal to come to a consensus, which was rejected at the time by the Argentinian Football Association,” they added. Spanish media have reported that the proposed compromise would see the 21-year-old playmaker take part in one of Barcelona’s early Champions League matches before joining the Argentine squad in Beijing. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday that clubs must release their eligible Under-23 players for...
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