‘Bad advice led to Messi U-turn’

Lionel Messi was left with no choice but to reverse his decision to quit Barcelona due to bad advice from his father and agent Jorge, according to Mexico icon Hugo Sanchez.

The former Real Madrid star blamed the 33-year-old's failed exit on his representatives.

"That untimely burofax only strengthened the image of the president of Barcelona and gave him time to weaken Messi's decision," he told ESPN.

"Messi has had no choice but to stay at Barcelona due to bad advice from his father and the law firm, because they could have saved that burofax. That has caused weakness to his image within the team.

"If Messi and his father already had the decision to leave Barcelona, they should not have waited in time.

He added: "Messi's second problem was to send that burofax without certainty and guaranteeing that they had a team that would pay the €700m, which, due to the pandemic, no team in the world that can invest that amount."