Lionel Messi accepts Marca award for best player

Lionel Messi is happy to have received Marca's
award for the best player in La Liga in 2016-17
and wants to show everyone why he deserved it
by leading Barcelona to victory at Real Madrid on
Saturday.
The Argentina captain attended the awards gala
on Monday afternoon at the Contemporary Art
museum in Barcelona, where he was given a fifth
career Alfredo Di Stefano Award after scoring 37
goals and providing nine assists during the
2016-17 La Liga season.
His Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, last year's
recipient, has won the award four times but
finished with a career-low 25 La Liga goals last
season.
"I want to thank my teammates and I share this
special award with them," Messi said during
Monday's ceremony. "My main aim is not to win
individual awards but rather trophies with my
team and we hope we can compete for La Liga. If
individual trophies come after that, all the better."
He also took home the Pichichi award for
finishing as top scorer in La Liga.
Barcelona finished runners-up to Madrid last
season but are top of the current standings, 11
points clear of their rivals, who have a game in
hand.
Messi, who is La Liga's leading scorer this
season with 14 goals, said he is looking forward
to the Clasico on Saturday at the Santiago
Bernabeu.
"It would be beautiful to end the year with a win
and begin our Christmas holiday happy," he said.
"It would be important to win this game, for what
it means. It's special, it's at Real Madrid and a
victory would see us take a big advantage with
respect to them.
"There would still be a long way to go in the
season but it would be good to have that
advantage."
La Liga president Javier Tebas was in attendance
and said during the event: "Thanks to all the
players and clubs that compete with us and allow
us to be the best league in the world."
For the second straight season, Atletico Madrid's
Jan Oblak was honoured with the Zamora trophy
as the top goalkeeper.
The Slovenia international conceded 21 goals in
29 games to help Atletico finish third last season
and said: "This is not mine, but rather a
collective award as I could not do it without
them."
Celta Vigo winger Iago Aspas received the Zarra
award for the top Spanish scorer in La Liga with
19 goals.
The Spain international, who is hoping to
compete next year at the World Cup, joked: "My
next challenge is to steal the Pichichi from Leo
Messi."
Marca also recognised Barcelona midfielder
Andres Iniesta as the most valuable player for the
Spain national team last season.
Iniesta spoke at the event about Saturday's game
against Real and said: "To win there would take
us another step closer to our aim. We are hopeful
and eager to play a good game and take three
points home. Our biggest challenge is to continue
to lead the standings."