Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona has been
the subject of intense speculation in recent
weeks but the Argentina captain showed again
on Sunday he is not letting it distract him from
what he does best.
Messi followed up a brilliant showing in last
weekend's 3-1 La Liga win at home to
champions Atletico Madrid with a hat-trick in a
4-0 win at Deportivo La Coruna which kept
Barca hard on the heels of leaders Real Madrid.
Reports have been swirling about a rift between
Messi and Luis Enrique, with the four-times
World Player of the Year apparently unhappy
with the Barca coach's management style and
tactics and said to be seeking an exit from the
club he joined at the age of 13.
Messi responded by saying he was not thinking
of leaving but he has not explicitly denied
claims his relationship with Luis Enrique has
broken down.
Whatever the reality of the situation, if Messi
continues his prolific scoring form Barca will
have a good chance of returning to winning
ways this term after failing to win major
silverware in 2013-14 for the first time in six
years.
"He has been playing at a phenomenal level the
whole season," Luis Enrique told a news
conference on Sunday.
"He has not dropped off at any moment," added
the former Barca and Spain midfielder, who took
over from Messi's compatriot Gerardo Martino
at the end of last season.
Messi's treble was his 22nd in La Liga, one
fewer than Real Madrid's Portugal forward
Cristiano Ronaldo, who beat Messi into second
place to win a third Fifa Ballon d'Or award on
Monday.
Messi, voted the world's best player four times
between 2009 and 2012, has hit 30 hat-tricks
for Barca in all competitions and three for
Argentina.
Real, who have a game in hand, top La Liga on
45 points at the halfway point of the season,
with Barca second on 44 and Atletico third on
41.
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