The six-time Ballon d’Or winner hinted at quitting as he picked up the individual accolade earlier this week, but the coach downplayed his words

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has moved to quell speculation that Lionel Messi might be ready to quit the game imminently.

After he picked up a record sixth Ballon d’Or earlier this week, Messi said that his time at the top level could be drawing to a close, yet the Camp Nou boss believes that people are reading too much into the Argentine’s words.

The 32-year-old continues to operate at the pinnacle of the world game but suffered at the start of this season due to injuries. Nevertheless, he has scored nine times in nine Primera Division matches and has tallied 11 goals plus eight assists in all competitions.

Valverde, therefore, doesn’t see him stopping any time soon.

“It’s something natural, he’s 32 years old,” the coach said when quizzed on Messi’s words at a media conference prior to the weekend’s clash against Mallorca. “I don’t think he’s going to retire tomorrow or in three days, but when you get past 30, you see that the end is nearer. The subject is given too much thought.”

He was also asked what it was like to coach such an immense talent.

“Sometimes it doesn’t let you enjoy every day,” he admitted. “It’s something that you will value over time. In many years’ time, I’ll be able to look back and say that I coached Messi.”

Ahead of Saturday’s fixture, meanwhile, the coach, whose job was under pressure earlier this season, knows that anything can still happen at a club like Barca, where the demands on the players and staff are so high and so relentless.

“Everything can happen very fast,” he considered. “If you play a bad game like against Leganes, it feels like we’re very bad, but three days later we beat Borussia Dortmund and are suddenly very good again.

“We’re at a key moment of the season. We’re strong and we don’t want to stop being that way.”

Barca top La Liga on goal difference ahead of Real Madrid, who they meet in El Clasico later this month, while they have already secured top spot in Champions League Group F before a meeting with Inter at San Siro on Tuesday.

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