Lionel Messi's Treatment of Barcelona Slammed by Spanish Media

Lionel Messi can't escape the headlines right now.

Two days after finishing second to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2014 Ballon d'Or vote—prior to which he suggested he couldn't confirm where he will be playing in a year's time—the player's attitude toward Barcelona has been questioned by the Spanish press.

Namely, AS editor Alfredo Relano believes Messi needs to remember the commitment Barca have made to their superstar forward over the years.

Relano's column comes after Messi suggested "I'm not sure where I'll be next year," per Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC.

He suggests the player—who believes "everything can change overnight" in football—needs to alter his attitude: "It would not have have cost him anything to say that for next year he has a contract with Barca and that he thinks about continuing there unless they get rid of him. 'And some day I would like to retire at Newell’s.' But he left ambiguity."

Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images

Relano then suggests the ongoing tax investigation into Messi and his father are not Barcelona's fault. He believes the club gave him the "best" of everything—including an environment to develop alongside Pep Guardiola and era-defining players—but that Messi appears unappreciative:

"

His mistakes in that field (or those of his advisors, or those his father sought) are not transferable to the club that received him, raised him and provided him the space to develop his immense talent.

There is something about the attitude of Messi, even in his gestures, as if he is perpetually wronged. I do not like it. He is fantastic, and he was born with his talent, but he landed at the best place possible. But he goes around as if the club owed him something. And that is not the case.

"

David Ramos/Getty Images

Messi continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League, a scenario which gathered pace after he was said to have fallen out with Blaugrana coach Luis Enrique.

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has stated such reports are "lies," per Barca TV (h/t Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC), but Jamie Jackson of the Guardian believes Manchester United are "on alert" over the possibility of meeting his £200 million buyout clause. 

Only United and Real Madrid can realistically afford to pay such a figure in a single fee, according to Rob Wilson of Sheffield Hallam University (h/t Simon Stone of BBC Sport). Even so, it's likely both would still struggle to meet UEFA's Financial Fair Play guidelines if a lump sum was accepted.

David Ramos/Getty Images

To be fair to Messi, he has previously stated he wishes to stay at Barca "forever," per Corrigan. He is someone who regularly has to clarify his words in fear of them being misconstrued, something he admitted he is "tired" of doing after Monday's gala, as reported by Delaney.

Spanish football pundit and Messi autobiographer Guillem Balague doesn't believe Messi will leave, as told to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:

Sky Sports' Terry Gibson also told Metro (h/t Nick Lustig of the Daily Star) that he expects Barca will look to keep their talisman happy: "I was always convinced Messi would see out his career at the Nou Camp. Now I'm not so sure. The team's not as good as it was and Messi's not playing as well as under Pep Guardiola. I'm sure they will do all they can to keep him."

This doesn't appear to be a story that will go away. There's no suggestion Messi will move during the current transfer window, so it's perhaps worrying that rumours could continue to circulate beyond January. He is used to dealing with considerable pressure, but such relentless speculation may cause the player to lose focus.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Both he and Barca have needed each other over the years. The club provided Messi with a platform on which to develop and express his talent, while the player's quality has made good on such an investment. His display alongside Neymar and Luis Suarez during the recent 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid, in which all three scored, suggests Messi could use criticism to fuel a purple patch of form.

Many are likely to agree with Relano's comments, while others will react angrily to his article. In any case, it's profitable to focus on the player's numbers—Messi has 25 goals and 10 assists in 24 appearances this season, per WhoScored—to determine his true value to Barcelona.