Lionel Messi denies involvement in Gerardo Martino appointment

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has insisted that he had nothing to do with the club's decision to appoint fellow Argentinian Gerardo Martino as Tito Vilanova's successor.

Messi said that he knew Martino, who took over at Barca following Vilanova's resignation for health issues, was a good coach, but insisted that he had never met him previously.

"I don't have anything to do with it, or anything to explain," Marca quotes Messi as saying. "It's for the president and the club to decide. At the time I said that I thought he was a good coach, but I don't have anything to explain.

"I don't know him personally, I've never met him, neither him nor Luis Enrique who was the other candidate being talked about. I think it's a good appointment because he will bring something extra, and he's shown what he's capable of both at Newell's and in the Paraguayan national team. I hope he'll be good for us."

Martino won the Argentinian title last season with Newell's Old Boys.