How Valverde managed the decision to rest Messi against Juventus
The two have been speaking for weeks about managing the star's minutes
Madrid's droppoed points against Atletico & the Valencia game were factors
A decision taken by Ernesto Valverde? A pact? A fitness issue? These are the questions asked when Lionel Messi was announced as a substitute for Barcelona's game against Juventus. The big question after the game was: Why? And: How was it managed? Sources consulted by Diario SPORT all agree on one point: it was not an improvised decision nor was it one imposed by the coach.
Both Valverde and Messi have been speaking for weeks and reflecting on the Argentine's accumulation of minutes and thinking about when to dosify them. Madrid's dropped points at Atletico accelerated the decision. All of a sudden, the game against Valencia became a critical game, one which could see Barça make a huge statement in La Liga. That's to say, Mestalla had more relevance than Turin.
A final conversation between Valverde and Messi, one day before the game, brought the decision: Messi would start from the bench and come on after around an hour, when the Italian team were more tired. The result could not have been better: Barça achieved their goal of qualifying top, Messi rested and it sent a message to the whole squad: if the best player can be rotated, anyone can be.
Valverde once again comes out the winner because he has shown that with dialogue, tact and common sense, he was able to convince Messi to sit on the bench. And, what's more, he did so with a big smile on his face.
