by Tim Stannard

While long term future at Barcelona set for Lionel Messi, crunch decision to be made about Atletico Madrid appearance

In a week that Real Madrid unveiled its plans for sustainability and revenue growth into the current century and beyond, Barcelona have done so too on Friday.

While Madrid and the club president, Florentino Perez, were looking to a half a billion-dollar refurbishment of the Santiago Bernabeu to turn the stadium into the kind of place Madrid mallrats will hang out 24 hours a day as the way forward, Barcelona is looking to Lionel Messi to sustain them into the 22^nd century.

True, advances in stasis chambers and cryogenic techniques may be required but Messi’s importance to the past, present and future of the club is a strong motivating factor for the team’s scientific research department.

“If we have to, we’ll freeze Messi every Sunday night and then thaw him out like a Thanksgiving turkey every Friday,” was the promise from Barca president, Josep Bartomeu to ESPN in discussing the footballer’s future.

Actually, that’s not entirely true but Bartomeu did talk about extending Messi’s contract (again) but this time past 2021 when the deal currently ends.

“He has many years ahead of him and in the next few months we will sit down with him so he can continue for years to come at the Camp Nou," promised the Barca big cheese on the footballer who turns 32 in June but has still racked up 32 league goals this season.

The decision on whether that tally will be added to on Saturday in a clutch game against Atletico Madrid now needs to be made by Ernesto Valverde. If Messi plays then there is a fair chance of more goals to put Barcelona 11 points clear at the top of the table. But if Messi plays then there is also a significant chance that something unfortunate could happen to the footballer with Atletico’s tough-tackling defense that puts the footballer out of next week’s Champions League quarterfinal clash with Manchester United.

“We respect him, but we don’t fear him,” warned Diego Simeone talking on Friday morning ahead of the game that is live on beIN SPORTS on Saturday at 2:45PM ET / 11:45AM PT.

To Leo or not to Leo will be a big topic of conversation for the Sports Burst live show going out on our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page at 12PM ET / 9AM PT or simply watched back at your leisure.

Zidane hints at Eden Hazard swoop this summer to cure goalscoring crisis

The beIN SPORTS universe will implode at this point if the topic does not immediately switch to Real Madrid, so it’s quite handy that Coach Zizou has just spoken ahead of the club’s home visit of the Mighty Eibar – live on beIN SPORTS from 10:05AM ET / 7:05AM PT.

Last week, Zidane was speaking about Paul Pogba in admiring tones. On Friday, it was the turn of Eden Hazard. “He is a player I have always liked. Everyone knows that. He played in France, so I've seen him a lot and I know him personally,” revealed Zizou. Now throw that it with the reality bites statement from the Frenchman in the same press conference about Madrid’s goalscoring prowess this season – or lack of it – and two and two will definitely make four in the transfer market this summer - "this year has cost us and there is the data to back it up.”

So that’s Pogba and Hazard joining up then.

No light shed on the goalkeeping situation though with poor Keylor Navas still in the dark about whether he will be number one for the club next season. "I love Keylor a lot, as a player and as a person. "I won't say what will happen, who will leave, who will stay or sign, all I can say is that it will be very clear from the start of the summer."

The Locker Room will be looking ahead to both Barcelona and Real Madrid’s games this weekend along with all the other hot topics of the week. It all gets underway at 7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT.

Klopp hails Man City as best team in the world ahead of crunch Friday clash for Liverpool

It looks like Liverpool and Manchester City will continue to be out of synch at the top of the Premier League table. City moved into first place in a midweek batch of matches to see the two teams on the same number of matches. But now Liverpool could ease ahead again on Friday with Manchester City busy in FA Cup action this weekend. Then again, they may not.

The Anfield side has been living very dangerously of late – the lucky win against Tottenham last weekend is a case in point – and has travelled to England’s south coast to take on an improving Southampton side that is still dangerously close to the relegation zone. In a season-long admiration zone, Klopp said ahead of the match that Manchester City are the best team in the world “but that doesn’t mean they will win all their games.” Mourinho-style mind games ahoy?

Also in action on Friday and live on beIN SPORTS at 2:45PM ET / 11:45AM PT Bordeaux is hosting a Marseille side under pressure and then some to pick up a win that would move the French giants back into the Ligue Un top four.

The XTRA will bring you the best of the day’s action as well as all the tips and predictions ahead of the weekend.