Luis Enrique has denied being issued an ultimatum by Barcelona.

The manager insisted he would continue but admitted that his position has been “weakened” by the departure of Andoni Zubizarreta, the sporting director who had signed him; that the situation was “unpleasant”; and that much of what he had been asked about “I can’t control.”

As the questions rolled in, Enrique repeatedly responded: “There have been so many stories and I am not going to confirm or deny any of them.” But he did finish the press conference with the telling observation: “There are some rules that everyone must comply with: that is one of my principles” – and one thing he did deny was that he had been given an ultimatum.

“I talk to the president [a lot] but I have had no ultimatum. It would be the first time for me but, no, I have not had one, I’m sorry,” he said.

“It is sad for me [that Zubizarreta has been sacked],” he added. “Not just because he brought me here but because he is a great professional and I can only say good things about him. It weakens me.”

Pushed on why that weakened him, he responded: “I don’t want to go into that subject any further … there’s a press conference that the president is holding later on [to explain Zubizarreta’s sacking.]”

Reports emerged saying that Messi had confronted Luís Enrique on Friday and again on Sunday, that the coach had wanted to take disciplinary action against Messi, and that they no longer talk. 

“I do not talk about what happens in the dressing room or the training ground; what happens there, stays there,” he said. “My job is to manage the team. I do not confirm or deny.” That final line was one he repeated often.

Asked if he talks to Messi, he replied: “I speak to all of them of course, some more than others. I talk to anyone here: to Messi, Suárez, Neymar … [third choice goalkeeper] Jordi Masip. I talk to José on the gate. I talk to everyone here.” How many individual meetings had he had with Messi, he was asked. “I don’t know how many I have had, or not had,” he replied. Asked if he thought Messi wanted to stay, he replied: “I’m not the right person to answer that.”