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Gerardo Martino: 'Team more important than individuals'

Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino refuses to criticise Lionel Messi following a disappointing week for the club.

Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has insisted that no single player is to blame for their elimination in the Champions League and stumble in La Liga.

The Catalan outfit exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Atletico Madrid last week, before seeing their title challenge suffer a blow with a 1-0 defeat at Granada.

When questioned on Lionel Messi's form in those two matches, Martino simply claimed that the team is more important than individual performances.

"We must all contribute to the team, to improve. Under no circumstances should be expected to contribute more than that. The stronger we are as a team, the better we are," Inside Spanish Football quotes the Argentine as saying at a press conference.

Barcelona face Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

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Matt Law
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Gareth Bale of Real Madrid CF duels for the ball with Sergio Busquets of FC Barcelona during the La Liga match on October 26, 2013
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3Barcelona23153564253948
4Athletic Bilbao23128336201644
5Villarreal23117546341240
6Rayo Vallecano239862724335
7Real Sociedad2394102020031
8GironaGirona2394103133-231
9Osasuna227962731-430
10Mallorca2293101928-930
11Real BetisBetis237882731-429
12Celta Vigo2384113437-328
13Sevilla237792534-928
14Getafe236981817127
15Las PalmasLas Palmas2365122838-1023
16Espanyol2365122235-1323
17Leganes2358101932-1323
18Valencia2357112437-1322
19AlavesAlaves2356122535-1021
20Real ValladolidValladolid2343161548-3315


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