Lionel Messi has urged Barcelona to stick with their
distinctive style of play, despite failing to win this season's Champions
League.
Barcelona lost 7-0 on aggregate to German side Bayern Munich
in the semi-finals of this year's competition.
That result led to suggestions that the Catalans'
'tiki-taka' passing game had been overtaken by the German power.
"We can't lose our heads. We can't change our style of
play," the 25-year-old attacker told Television Azteca.
"You can't always win," added Argentina
international Messi, the current World Player of the Year. "We've been
playing our brand of football for years and managers and teams have studied it.
"We have to stay calm and focus on next year."
However, defender Gerard Pique thought the Spanish club
would have to change and said: "We are not the best any more, other teams
are."
Club vice-president Josep Bartomeu has also stated his
belief that "four or five" new signings are required.
Despite their Champions League campaign ending in
disappointment, Barca claimed the La Liga title back from Real Madrid with four
games left to play.
This success came amid repeated health fears for head coach
Tito Vilanova, who was sidelined for three months in December following an
operation in New York to treat throat cancer.
Vilanova, 44, in his first season in sole charge of the club
after moving up from assistant to replace former boss Pep Guardiola, has also
travelled back to America this week for more "pioneering treatment".
Messi believed the coach's absence has had a destabilising
effect on the team.
"Things went well with Tito, because he practically
didn't change anything," said Messi.
"But we noticed a change when he left, not because
Jordi Roura or the training staff who stayed on didn't do a good job but
because we were missing our head manager.
"It wasn't the same. One year is a long time and it's
great that we can finish it by celebrating."
Mixed season for Barca?
Won back the league
title from Real Madrid - their 22nd Spanish league title
Knocked out of the
Copa Del Rey by Real Madrid at semi-final stage, lost 3-1 at home and 4-2 on
aggregate.
Thrashed 7-0 on
aggregate by Bayern Munich in Champions League semi-final
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