Messi 'hugely proud' of Flick's Barcelona side

Former Barcelona and current Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has praised the team's "spectacular" form under new coach Hansi Flick.

Barça have won 11 of their opening 13 games in LaLiga under the German manager, three out of four in the Champions League and are the top scorers in both competitions.

Messi has been impressed with what he has seen, especially given the fact the team features so much homegrown talent, with eight academy graduates featuring in the recent 4-0 Clásico win over Real Madrid.

"I'm hugely proud to see how the first team is representing the club right now," Messi, who left Barça for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 before joining Inter Miami last year, told TV3.

"This Barça side is spectacular, although it doesn't surprise me. It is nothing new, it's always happened, or at least since I arrived at the club as a 13-year-old.

"It's spectacular that the kids have had chances in the last two years and, when you put confidence in them, this is how they respond because they know the club better than anyone.

"They are used to playing this way since they were little. If you give them the opportunity, these things happen, as happened in our era."

Flick appreciated the comments from Messi, whose Inter Miami side were eliminated from the 2024 Major League Soccer playoffs earlier this month.

"It's an honour that the best player from Barça in the [club's] history says this and that he follows how the team is playing and how the young players are playing," Flick said in a news conference ahead of Saturday's LaLiga game against Celta Vigo.

"He is always with his whole heart in this club and it means a lot for us and the whole team."

Messi spent over 20 years at Barça and has made more appearances (778) and scored more goals (672) for the club than any other player.

Barcelona was also the city where he started a family and he said he still plans to return there when he retires.

"We still have in our mind a return to live in Barcelona," he said. "My kids, my wife and I miss Barcelona a lot. We have friends there and left a lot of things behind when we moved.

"My kids are Catalan. I have lived most of my life there and I feel from Barcelona. You never know where life will take you, but the intention is to live in Barcelona because it's our home."

Messi has one year to run on his contract in Miami, which expires in 2025.