Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde reacted to Lionel Messi being called up to Argentina’s national squad after his three-month international football ban ended.
Messi was banned by CONMEBOL after his appearance in last summer’s Copa America ended in controversy, having accused the organising body for South American football of corruption.
The 32-year-old was sent off in Argentina’s third-place play-off victory over Chile after Brazil had reach the semi-finals at their expense.
Messi is back firing for Barcelona – who travel to Levante on Saturday – after an injury-hit start to the season. He will return to the Argentina squad for friendlies gainst Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on November 15 and 18 respectively.
“We know that when Messi is active then there are big chances he will be called to join his national team,” Valverde said.
“The fact he didn’t go these past few months was because of a sanction. So, he will now start to go there regularly. It doesn’t affect us at all. It is something both him and us have already accepted. It isn’t a setback in that sense.”
Watch Valverde express his thoughts in the video above.
