Much has been made in recent seasons of Messis relationship with his managers. To be one of the greatest players of all time is a pretty big bargaining position, meaning appeasing Messi is fairly high on any Barca coachs to-do list. Luis Enrique was said to have fallen foul of Messi after benching him in the defeat against Real Sociedad in January. Messis response was to miss next days training, citing a bout of gastroenteritis as explanation. That didnt prevent Spanish media from speculating on a possible fallout between star and manager, leading to rumours of Luis Enriques future for the remainder of the season. Then there is previous manager Tato Martino, whose appointment as Barca coach came as something of a surprise given his relatively undistinguished coaching career up until that point. Yet Martino happens to reside from Rosario, Argentina, birthplace of Messi, and many say it was Messis father, Jorge, who pushed for the appointment. And then again the following year, when Martino replaced Sabella as Argentinas coach. Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo, writing in The Guardian, suggests the move was a way to appoint a manager happy to play second fiddle to Messi's needs.
