If Lionel Messi isn’t pleased at Barcelona, it was not possible to inform on Saturday when he scored two objectives in one other masterful efficiency to brush apart Athletic Bilbao and win the Copa del Rey.
Messi climbed into the tribune after main the 4-0 win and lifted the trophy excessive above his head and turned to his crew on the pitch beneath.
For his teammates, coach, and tens of millions of anxious followers, it was simple to learn a lot into that broad grin, that vigorous shake of the large cup.
Was Messi lastly seeing the folly of ever pondering he may discover a higher residence?
Or was the membership’s all-time main scorer relieved that he may give Barcelona not less than yet another title earlier than saying goodbye?
Messi didn’t point out his future after he acquired the trophy from Spain’s King Felipe VI, one of many few dignitaries together with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in attendance at a stadium closed to followers as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
Instead, Messi targeted on those that weren’t capable of share within the celebration.
“This is a very special cup for me to lift,” Messi mentioned. “It is too bad we cannot celebrate it with our family and fans. But that is the situation we have to accept.”
Even although Messi prevented the burning query of his plans, his nice recreation will increase hopes for Barcelona followers of the soccer nice staying at Camp Nou.
And for Joan Laporta, who returned to the membership’s presidency final month, Messi ought to have a straightforward selection forward of him.
“Leo is the best player in the world, Leo has deep roots in this club, and I am convinced that he wants to stay,” Laporta mentioned. “We will do all we can for him to stay with us. That is what we most want. And today Messi gave a master class of soccer while being supported by a great team.”
Barcelona’s file thirty first cup comes at a vital junction for Messi and Barcelona. Barcelona has seen its funds badly broken by the pandemic and its former president Josep Bartomeu was pressured to resign after the crew’s poor efficiency final season when it did not win a title and alleged administrative irregularities. Bartomeu has denied any wrongdoing.
But the height of the membership’s disaster got here final summer season when Messi mentioned that he needed to place an finish to his extremely profitable twenty years with Barcelona. Since then, he has solely mentioned he’ll decide when his contract is up on the finish of this season.
The cup, nonetheless, places an finish to a title drought since Barcelona received the 2019 Spanish league.
“It has been a difficult year, but like in life, sometimes you fall down and just have to get back up,” mentioned Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who excelled in shutting down Bilbao’s counterattack.
“This is like starting anew, a reset . I think we have turned this around.”
Bilbao has now misplaced two Copa del Rey finals this month at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. Bilbao misplaced 1-0 to Real Sociedad simply two weeks in the past once they met within the 2020 closing that had been postponed because of the pandemic. Sociedad’s reign as Copa champion lasted all of 14 days.
“We were far from our best,” mentioned Bilbao coach Marcelino Garcia Toral. “And even playing our your best it is tough to beat Barca.”
Only some tenacious defending in its space saved Bilbao within the match till Barcelona erupted with 4 objectives between the sixtieth and 72nd minutes.
The bombardment began within the fifth when Messi arrange Frenkie de Jong, who performed an ideal aide to Messi all through the match, to hit the submit.
The second half continued with Messi dictating the tempo, and now Unai Simon needed to save Bilbao.
But the Spain goalkeeper may do nothing to disclaim Antoine Griezmann within the sixtieth minute. Griezmann’s sliced in a one-touch strike off De Jong’s cross from the correct after Messi had once more taken the ball and compelled Bilbao to scramble again into its field.
With Bilbao reeling, Barcelona struck once more within the 63rd _ this time from the left. Messi additionally performed a delicate half on this objective, making a dummy run to open area for De Jong to push ahead and head in Jordi Alba’s cross.
De Jong then helped Messi slalom via Bilbao from close to the center of the sector into the center of the world by exchanging two fast passing combos with the star. Messi capped the transfer by dribbling previous the final defender earlier than slotting in his crew’s third objective within the 68th.
Messi rounded off his stellar efficiency that earned him a thirty fifth profession title for Barcelona when he fired in a move from Alba.
Messi had once more confirmed, at age 33, that he can nonetheless utterly dominate a closing.
But hanging over the cup was what it really meant to the inscrutable Argentine.
For coach Ronald Koeman, along with his crew additionally within the league title race, nothing has modified. It is as much as Messi to resolve, whereas Koeman crosses his fingers.
“Messi showed he is a born winner,” Koeman mentioned after claiming his first title because the former defender returned to teach the membership final summer season.
“We hope this is not Messi’s last Copa. We want him to stay with us.”