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Barcelona soccer club will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if Fifa tell them to release Argentine forward Lionel Messi for the Olympic Games, said club president Joan Laporta.
"We are in no doubt that the rules are on our side," said Laporta. "We are not obliged to release the player."
Laporta said the 21-year-old would leave with the rest of the first team for a pre-season promotional tour of the United States tonight (NZT).
Laporta added that the club wanted to "find a consensus solution that will suit both Barcelona and the [Argentina]."
Barcelona said that they want the player for the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie scheduled for 12 August.
- AGENCIES
