Barca snub FIFA awards ceremony

http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/01/09/barcelona-pulls-messi-from-attending-fifa-awards-ceremony/

ZURICH (AP) Lionel Messi will not attend the FIFA awards ceremony later Monday, when Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be named the world’s best player for 2016.

Barcelona says it decided Messi would skip the event in Zurich and be “prioritizing preparations” for a match on Wednesday.

Messi’s teammates, including Neymar, who could be named in a World XI voted for by players, will also not travel.

Ronaldo is favored to win his fourth FIFA player award after helping Portugal and Real Madrid become European champions last year.

Messi has five FIFA best player awards and has been runner-up in all other years since 2007.

Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey. The defending champions lost the first leg 2-1 in Bilbao.

Didn't know the game's already on Wednesday.... Makes sense then, that ceremony would scrap off an entire day with all the travelling etc.

Don't see what's the problem here.

Who in their right mind would attend corrupt institution awarding fake players for being absolute shitboxes whole year and been carried by corrupt refs and draws? There's limit to all that and taking stances about it starts now. Well done.

Yea I don't see the issue, we are trailing Bilbo 2-1 and have to beat them on Wednesday and we are currently struggling with form. Why give up a day of training to attend a Gala that already revealed the results weeks ago

Priorities first, and clearly right now Bilbo is a bigger priority at the moment. .

Natural thing to do considering the important game coming up especially. Messi will win it next year so Barca will be there again then