Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and his teammates are set to face Ibiza FC, who play in Spain’s third-tier league, on Wednesday in the third round of the Copa del Rey Cup.
Pablo Alfaro’s men host Barcelona at the Municipal Stadium in the coastal area and that has brought excitement to the people of the paradise island. In fact, the tickets that went on sale got sold out instantly, with the high hopes of seeing one of the world’s best players in their home ground.
But the excitement and the great game that awaits the local people were overshadowed by an illicit event that took place earlier.
The club reported that two thieves entered the headquarters hooded and stole several tickets that were due to be sold. The thieves were unidentified by the security cameras due to the covering. And the club have decided to block the stolen tickets and reprint new ones so that no one goes without seeing Messi.
Quique Setien to drop Messi for the Ibiza game?
However, there could be a twist in the tale by Barcelona manager Quique Setien, who may opt to rest the star player. The Catalan giants face a stern test at the weekend as they are set to face Valencia and big names could miss out in the fixture against Ibiza.
Messi has been taking the responsibility of seeing his team cross the line for quite a long time. Initially, he was absent from the squad due to an injury but since his return, he has featured in 15 league games.
With 14 goals so far, the Argentine is Barcelona’s top scorer as usual and without the striker Luis Suarez, he would be expected to deliver once again against Valencia. Hence, the excitement of Ibiza fans to see the best player may come down as there are high chances for Messi to be rested.