Barca demand Messi

Barcelona on collision course with Argentina

By Pete Oliver   Last updated: 17th July 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Barca demand Messi

Fight: Lionel Messi is wanted by club and country

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Barcelona want Lionel Messi to miss the Olympics to help them qualify for the Champions League group stages.

Argentina hope Messi will be available to play for them in the Beijing football tournament from 6-23 August.

But with Barcelona facing two Championship qualifying ties next month they are looking to secure Messi's release.

"We have a case and we will fight for Messi to playing the Champions League qualifier because he should be with us. We have let FIFA know this," Barcelona's sports director Txiki Regiristain was reported as saying in Spain.

Messi, 21, had previously said he would like to play in the Olympics.