A new coach, a new president and the Lionel Messi problem - Expert View on Barcelona

At a presidential meeting, chairman Josep Bartomeu has announced the date of the next elections which will be March 2021.

FC Barcelona's members, also known as 'socios’, are very disappointed with Bartomeu's current policy.

They are demanding a new club structure, not only a new coach after Quique Setien was fired - maybe Ronald Koeman - but three or four new players to join Lionel Messi.

Former president Joan Laporta seems to be his strongest rival. He is the only candidate who can bring back Pep Guardiola, keep Messi until his retirement or bring Xavi Hernandez as new coach. And, of course, recover the tiki-taka style of football.

Barcelona fans are followers of their style of play. The football and how they play is in constant evolution and Barcelona needs to renew this progressive philosophy.

Another strong candidate to be chairman is Victor Font, but Barca's elections are a media circus where false promises are made.

Then there is the question of Messi's responsibility in this situation.

Nobody in Barcelona (players, coaches, president, managers, fans, columnists, pro-Barca media) dare say if Messi is the problem.

For sure he is the most talented and decisive player of this generation.

You see his body language again and again. Barcelona misses the personality of Carles Puyol on the pitch and Xavi Hernandez off it and also a coach with a strong personality who can effectively deal with the media.

Everyone around Barcelona praises Messi when he score a hat-trick against Levante or Betis in La Liga, but nobody is critical of him in their big defeats.

Barcelona seem afraid to make a decision on Messi.

Regarding Messi’s future, in my opinion the latest speculation about his desire to leave Barca is just to put pressure on Bartomeu and the club hierarchy.

Of course Messi could leave the club for £150m or £200m and join Inter Milan, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain. But Barca only have three to four weeks to restructure as a club before the start of the 2020/21 season and there's little time to make a big decision like this.

He reportedly has a clause to leave for free, this clause expired in June. We don’t know if because of Covid-19 there has been a change to that.

His former side Newell’s Old Boys, China or the MLS are not viable options. He may be 33, but he still needs to compete to win titles and maintain his outstanding reputation.