Former Barça boss and current Argentina coach Gerardo Martino has denied that Leo Messi is performing below par, suggesting instead that his downturn in form is linked to a broader decline at the club.

"Any comparison with the two-to-three-year period in which he was at his best [is unfair]. It's very difficult to get back to that sort of level after so long. I don't know if we'll have the chance to see it happen. It's like when people compare Barcelona now to what they were like under Guardiola", he stated.

Martino stressed that Messi "reached supreme heights for several years and now the bar is set too high", while nevertheless claiming that the forward "is trying to get back to his best".