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BARCA SEEK MESSI COMPROMISE
Messi scores against Hibs at Murrayfield.
Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has confirmed the club hope to reach an agreement with the Argentinian Football Association to keep Lionel Messi until after the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.
The AFA announced their squad at the beginning of July and included the Barca forward.
However, the Games clash with the dates of the Champions League preliminary round for which Barca insist they will do everything in their power to hold onto their star player.
The Catalan club have persistently argued they should be able to keep the forward for next month's preliminary rounds of the Champions League, set to be played on either August 12 or 13.
While AFA president Julio Grondona announced on Wednesday he would not be in favour of such an arrangement, Begiristain believes it would be in the best interests of all involved.
"We still believe that we are right. Teams in Germany are on our side as are the LFP (Spanish League)," Begiristain told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo.
"On our side we want Messi to play the first leg of the Champions League (third qualifying round) and then we'll release him to play at the Olympic Games.
"We understand that reaching this agreement is the best solution. If we get a good result then, without being over-confident, we should be able to let the player go."
Begiristain's comments came after Barcelona revealed on their website that they had again been informed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter that the rules of world football's governing body stipulate players under the age of 23 must be released from their clubs for the Olympics.
Barcelona released an official response in which they argued the rules do not make any such stipulations.
In doing so their actions mirrored those of Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, who with the support of the German Football Association (DFB) and German Football League (DFL) have argued they are not legally required to release their players.
Begiristain believes the agreement suggested by Barca could help prevent such problems arising in the future.
"We are trying to make it so the agreement between Barca and the AFA serves as an example to the rest of football too," he said.
However, he admitted that as yet the AFA were not backing down, adding: "As we have not yet had our proposal accepted, every party will remain where they are."
