Barcelona FC: Head Coach Ronald Koeman not pleased with Catalans interim President comments about Messi

Spanish football outift Barcelona interim President Carlos Tusquets has been criticized by Dutch Manager Ronald Koeman after saying that Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi should have been sold by the club in the summer.

Barcelona Head Coach Ronald Koeman. Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images

Selling the 33-year old Argentina international was "desirable" due to the money the Catalans could have made, Tusquets said.

Lionel Messi, who has been at Barcelona his whole career, can leave for free when his contract expires at the end of the 2020/21.

Ronald Koeman said: "I don't care what's said outside the club. However, comments from inside the club don't help us have the calmness we need to do our job.

"We can't control what's said outside, but from within it's a different story."

In August, Messi had told Barca he wanted to leave and said a clause in his deal meant he could do so for free.

Barcelona Argentine pro forward Lionel Messi (l) with teammates. Photo: David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

However, Spanish giants said that the case was different as they would not allow their all-time leading goalscorer part ways with the club for less than his 700m euros (£624m) release clause.

Koeman further said: "If there's anyone who needs to decide about his future, it's Leo himself.

"It [selling Messi] might have been his [Tusquets'] personal opinion and I respect that, but Leo's got a year left on his deal and he is the one who needs to decide."