IN SPORT.ES
Barcelona trained on Wednesday for the first time after Lionel Messi's clash with Eric Abidal. The Argentine forward was supported by his teammates, who appreciated his defence of the group.
"I think when you speak about players, you should have to give names, because if you can't you're dirtying everyone and encouraging people to say things which aren't true," Messi had told Abidal on Tuesday.
With those comments, he was criticising Barça's sporting director for saying that "many players were not satisfied with Valverde but they weren't working hard, either."
NORMAL TRAINING
There was nothing out of the ordinary in training on Wednesday, with the media able to watch the first 15 minutes. The players worked under the orders of Quique Setien as normal and there was no meeting between the captains.
There was a phone call between Messi and president Josep Maria Bartomeu about what happened. Bartomeu wants to calm things down and wants Abidal to continue in his role.
UNITED DRESSING ROOM
The first team players are aware they're going through a tough time with injuries to Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele as well. They have to remain united. They have several tough games coming up and they need to be together. For that reason, they know the key is pulling together towards their objectives.
Inside the dressing room, the feel Messi's comments strengthen that union. He took on the role of captain in a situation he didn't feel comfortable in but felt he had to speak out. For the group, the moment has already gone and they're focused on Thursday's Copa del Rey game in Bilbao.
If at the end of the season they meet their targets, Messi's intervention will have been key in strengthening the bond in a dressing room that's had to deal with many setbacks this season.