BARCELONA, Spain—No one in the Barcelona dugout has ever really told Lionel Messi what to do. That’s because there are two kinds of managers here: those who learn to leave him alone and those who get fired. Messi runs where he wants, when he wants, and the boss has to trust that it will all work out. What makes this season different is that Messi’s total and utter freedom on the pitch has never been so crucial. At 31, the greatest player in the world is somehow more important to Barça than at any point since...

Source: Wall Street Journal April 17, 2019 09:56 UTC