Barcelona in shock after Lionel Messi demands firing of manager Quique Setien: Report

LaLiga giants Barcelona were in a state of shock after club captain Lionel Messi demanded immediate action taken against manager Quique Setien. Barcelona were held to a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo at the Municipal de Baladios on Saturday, which then saw Real Madrid move two points clear of Blaugrana following the Los Blancos’ 1-0 win against Espanyol on Sunday. The draw against Celta Vigo landed a massive dent on Barcelona’s hopes of winning the Spanish top tier crown for the sixth time in a row despite being in command of the LaLiga title race for the majority of the season.

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Quique Setien sacked? LaLiga standings after Matchday 32

Last week, a goalless draw between Barcelona and Sevilla allowed Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid to take charge of the title race despite being level on points with the Catalans. Following a narrow 1-0 win against Athletic Club on Wednesday, Barcelona took the lead on two occasions against Celta Vigo but the home side clawed their way back to earn a crucial point. Lionel Messi assisted Luis Suarez for both of Barcelona's goals, taking his tally of assists to 17 in the league.

The points dropped by Lionel Messi and Barcelona came as another massive setback for Quique Setien's side in their hunt for the LaLiga title. Real Madrid are now two points ahead of Barcelona with six matchdays remaining until the end of the season.

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Lionel Messi demands Quique Setien to be removed from Barcelona

According to reports from Diario Gol, the poor run of form has led to Barcelona captain Lionel Messi demanding the club to axe manager Quique Setien. The 61-year-old replaced Ernesto Valverde at the helm at Barcelona in January, earlier this year. However, with Barcelona now falling behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, Lionel Messi has reportedly demanded the sacking of the Spanish boss. 

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Since taking charge of Barcelona in January, Setien has suffered only two defeats in 13 LaLiga games as a manager, including the 2-0 loss against Real Madrid in February. Seiten is contracted to Barcelona until the summer of 2022. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has reportedly requested former teammate and current Al Sadd manager Xavi Hernandez to replace Setien at Barcelona.

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Image Credits - Leo Messi Instagram / FCBarcelona.com