Soccer:Lionel Messi has urged Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to stay on at the Nou Camp by admitting the former Spanish midfielder is more important to the Catalans than he is.
Guardiola has preferred to renew his contract on a year-by-year basis since arriving at the post in 2008 and has yet to commit himself beyond the end of the season. His name has been mentioned in connection with the Chelsea job following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas.
Messi has been Guardiola’s start player during his time in charge at the Nou Camp in which he has won 13 trophies, including two European Cups and three consecutive league titles.
The brilliant Argentine scored twice at the weekend to move to within five goals of the club’s all-time top scorer Cesar Rodriguez, who netted 235. That followed his five-goal masterclass against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last week, yet Messi lays the credit for his and the club's recent success at the feet of Guardiola.
“Pep is more important to Barcelona than me,” Messi told reporters. “Since he arrived he has changed everything for us. He has won everything there is to win.
“We want him to stay for the good of everyone. It would be very difficult to find another coach and to do what we have achieved with him, to win what he has won and to play the way he has made the team play.”
Messi’s double against Racing Santander took his tally in his last six matches
five for Barca and one for Argentina – to 16. He has already scored 50 goals in all competitions this season, three behind last year's personal best, and records continue to tumble even though he is still only 24.
“I am not trying to be the best in history nor the best player of the moment,” Messi added. “I just play to try and do things well. First I play for the team, then for the fans, and then for me. I feel good when everything works out the way I want.
“We always focus on the team, without them none of what I have achieved would have been possible.
“It wasn’t my plan to try and reach Cesar's record this season. I am very close, there are plenty of games left, but I’m not thinking of a particular date to reach it.”
