A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann’s former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club.
Eric Olhats had accused Messi of having too much control at the club, saying his “reign of terror” had made life difficult for Griezmann to adapt since his arrival last year.
Messi returned to Barcelona from international duty with Argentina on Wednesday when he was accosted by reporters at the airport.
“The truth is that I’m a little tired of always being the problem for everything at the club,” Messi was quoted as saying by Spanish media.
“On top of that, after a 15-hour flight, I had the tax authorities waiting for me. It’s madness.”
With one year left on his contract, Messi tried to activate a disputed clause to leave Barcelona for free in the off-season, but eventually decided to stay as he did not want to face a legal battle with the club.