Barcelona star forward receives golden boot, fails to commit to club

macfranc007 November 24, 2017 IFTTT, Latest Sport News | Today on Naij.com Arinze Esomnofu

- Lionel Messi has won the European Golden boots award

- He scored 37 league goals for Barcelona last season

- The Argentine captain however caused a stir when he refused to comment on his future

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has sparked uncertainty over his future as he bluntly refused to attend to questions concerning his contract renewal while collecting the European Golden shoe award on Friday, November 24.

The Barca playmaker, who joined Cristiano Ronaldo in winning the award for the fourth time scored 37 league goals last season.

Lionel Messi sparks Barcelona exit, refuses to comment on future

Messi, 30, has not yet signed the new deal the club say he has agreed, meaning he will be free to join another team next season.

The Spanish giants insist that his father, Jorge Messi, has signed three contracts which tie him to the club until 2021, but the situation is unclear because the player has not put pen to paper on any of them himself.

Messi scored 37 league goals for Barcelona last season

Messi, 30, did not walk in to the Antigua Estrella Damm Fabrica, where the event was held, on the red carpet, instead accessing the venue via a back door route to avoid the masses of journalists and photographers waiting for him at the front.

Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets also attended the event but declined to speak, while Messi answered soft questions from the event host about the development of his game.

Luis Suarez - a winner in 2014 and 2016 - hands over the award to his teammate (photo: AFP)

Messi conducted an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, who sponsored the award but still refused to speak about his contract situation.

Marca director, Juan Ignacio Gallardo, who introduced the ceremony with a speech, even highlighted that Messi would not be speaking about his contract.

He said: “I know that everyone is thinking about the renovation of your contract with Barcelona, but today we are here to pay homage to you and nothing can take the focus away from our precious gala,” said Gallardo.

“There will be time to talk about contract renewals later. Today we are speaking about the Golden Boot, delivered by ESM (European Sports Media) and Marca.”

Lionel Messi equals Ronaldo golden boot record of 4 with this award

Messi was presented the Golden Shoe by team-mate Suarez, who won it the season before.

“I’ve been improving, adding more facets to my play, each day I enjoy being a player more and more,” said Messi.

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The Argentine captain added:“Every time time I sit on the bench (as he did against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday) it’s a shock because I don’t usually do it.

“I don’t like being out, I like participating, helping from on the pitch, but I also understand the year is long and each day you have to take care of yourself because the seasons get harder and harder.”

The question which has not been fully answered yet, and which was not allowed to be asked at this event, is where Messi will be playing next season.

NAIJ.com reported earlier that Barcelona booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a goalless draw against Juventus in Turin.

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