10 - Lionel Messi - v4
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
To be fair not all the English press are like that, the majority seem to agree he is the best of all time.
They bring up stats like that to try and bum up their own league as much as anything. Not to make him out to be shit.
F
Flavia
Guest
[tw]676469364921602050[/tw]
El Flaco
Active member
Messi's interview with Fifa.com
FIFA.com: Barcelona’s first game at Japan 2015 is just around the corner. How does taking part in this tournament make you feel?
Lionel Messi: It’s a really nice competition, one of my favourites. Both because of its importance but also due to what it signifies: having won the Champions League [to qualify]. And it gives you the opportunity to round off the year in the best possible way. So, I’m very happy to be with all my team-mates, preparing for it. Our aim is to be able to lift that cup and then enjoy the holiday season with our families, with the championship in the bag.
You’ve visited Japan several times now. What kind of impression has the country left on you, in general terms?
A bit of everything, but always very pleasant [impressions]. Particularly on the pitch, from when we won the 2011 edition, but away from the field too. The last time we were in the country we were able to enjoy a day off to go out, have a look around and walk the streets like anonymous people. The people always behaved spectacularly well with us, they’re passionate but respectful. It’s a country that I really like.
That 2011 edition was the last time Barcelona took part in this tournament. In the final, Barça pulled off a brilliant 4-0 victory over a Santos side featuring Neymar. How would you compare the player he was then to what he’s like now, as your team-mate?
A lot of time’s gone by since then and I’ve witnessed his enormous growth, both as a footballer and as a person. Back then he was already a really great player and now he’s even more so, he’s much more complete. Truthfully, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to have him alongside us now.
Two years previously, you claimed your first Club World Cup winner’s medal, after a dramatic 2-1 final success over Estudiantes La Plata. And this time, you might find yourself up against another Argentinian team, River Plate…
It’s a strange feeling. In my whole career I’ve only played against an Argentinian club once, and it was that final against Estudiantes. It was a very tough game, one in which we were losing for a long period and managed to equalise right on full time, before going on to win it in extra time. But it’s also something that motivates me, because River are a big club on a global scale. I think that if we play against them it’ll be a good match.
Is it true that, before you joined Barcelona, you could have gone to River?
Yes, but that’s a very long time ago now. In the end it didn’t happen, but it is true that the possibility did come about, when I was very young.
What’s your take on how Barcelona have evolved, over all the years you’ve been at the club?
We’ve changed a little bit. We’ve become a more vertical (direct) team. Of course, we’ve not lost our ideology of keeping hold of the ball, that’s our trademark and our priority: to control the play and keep possession as much as we possibly can. But now we’ve incorporated the idea that, with just a couple of touches, we can get in front of the opposition’s goal. Before it was about getting there using more elaborate build-up play.
And from your personal perspective, how have you felt within this evolutionary process?
It’s a bit like what I was saying about Neymar. As time passes you grow, both on and off the pitch, you go about adapting to different circumstances. I think that, although I’ve kept the essence [of my style of play], over the years I’ve added qualities to my game.
Having won everything in club football, how do you motivate yourself for the next tournament?
There’s no need [to search for motivation]! We know just how much the Club World Cup means and for us it’s about winning another title, these championship wins are an indelible legacy in the history of the club. It’s something very important.
What’s more, it would be the icing of the cake of an incredible 2015, featuring wins in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and potentially, in individual terms, the FIFA Ballon d’Or…
It’s been an amazing year. That time when we won everything under [Pep] Guardiola [in 2009] looked unrepeatable, we genuinely weren’t sure if we’d one day get close to that again. And here we are. Now what’s left for us to do is end the year in the best possible way and make it unforgettable.
Source
Lionel Messi: It’s a really nice competition, one of my favourites. Both because of its importance but also due to what it signifies: having won the Champions League [to qualify]. And it gives you the opportunity to round off the year in the best possible way. So, I’m very happy to be with all my team-mates, preparing for it. Our aim is to be able to lift that cup and then enjoy the holiday season with our families, with the championship in the bag.
You’ve visited Japan several times now. What kind of impression has the country left on you, in general terms?
A bit of everything, but always very pleasant [impressions]. Particularly on the pitch, from when we won the 2011 edition, but away from the field too. The last time we were in the country we were able to enjoy a day off to go out, have a look around and walk the streets like anonymous people. The people always behaved spectacularly well with us, they’re passionate but respectful. It’s a country that I really like.
That 2011 edition was the last time Barcelona took part in this tournament. In the final, Barça pulled off a brilliant 4-0 victory over a Santos side featuring Neymar. How would you compare the player he was then to what he’s like now, as your team-mate?
A lot of time’s gone by since then and I’ve witnessed his enormous growth, both as a footballer and as a person. Back then he was already a really great player and now he’s even more so, he’s much more complete. Truthfully, it’s a pleasure and a privilege to have him alongside us now.
Two years previously, you claimed your first Club World Cup winner’s medal, after a dramatic 2-1 final success over Estudiantes La Plata. And this time, you might find yourself up against another Argentinian team, River Plate…
It’s a strange feeling. In my whole career I’ve only played against an Argentinian club once, and it was that final against Estudiantes. It was a very tough game, one in which we were losing for a long period and managed to equalise right on full time, before going on to win it in extra time. But it’s also something that motivates me, because River are a big club on a global scale. I think that if we play against them it’ll be a good match.
Is it true that, before you joined Barcelona, you could have gone to River?
Yes, but that’s a very long time ago now. In the end it didn’t happen, but it is true that the possibility did come about, when I was very young.
What’s your take on how Barcelona have evolved, over all the years you’ve been at the club?
We’ve changed a little bit. We’ve become a more vertical (direct) team. Of course, we’ve not lost our ideology of keeping hold of the ball, that’s our trademark and our priority: to control the play and keep possession as much as we possibly can. But now we’ve incorporated the idea that, with just a couple of touches, we can get in front of the opposition’s goal. Before it was about getting there using more elaborate build-up play.
And from your personal perspective, how have you felt within this evolutionary process?
It’s a bit like what I was saying about Neymar. As time passes you grow, both on and off the pitch, you go about adapting to different circumstances. I think that, although I’ve kept the essence [of my style of play], over the years I’ve added qualities to my game.
Having won everything in club football, how do you motivate yourself for the next tournament?
There’s no need [to search for motivation]! We know just how much the Club World Cup means and for us it’s about winning another title, these championship wins are an indelible legacy in the history of the club. It’s something very important.
What’s more, it would be the icing of the cake of an incredible 2015, featuring wins in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and potentially, in individual terms, the FIFA Ballon d’Or…
It’s been an amazing year. That time when we won everything under [Pep] Guardiola [in 2009] looked unrepeatable, we genuinely weren’t sure if we’d one day get close to that again. And here we are. Now what’s left for us to do is end the year in the best possible way and make it unforgettable.
Source
Silas
Member
Lionel Messi tax fraud investigation dropped in Barcelona
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-tax-fraud-investigation-dropped-in-barcelona
http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-tax-fraud-investigation-dropped-in-barcelona
Alik
Moderator
Love the cheers.
6 Ballons for Messi
but what if he wins 7??
It's the lil dictator mate, ofc he knows but he has decided to take the day off anyway.
TornAndFrayed
Banned
I'm obviously very worried that Messi won't be able to score against Cech and just have a shitty performance like last season against City where he couldn't even finish off a penalty kick
Dude just CANNOT score against english teams
I'm obviously very worried that Messi won't be able to score against Cech and just have a shitty performance like last season against City where he couldn't even finish off a penalty kick
We can rest easy because we got Luis Suárez the destroyers of the English teams but Messi favorite English team to destroy is Arsenal <3
RMU ReBorn
New member
How Many Assist's does Messi have ,for National team? Are those number's better than Diego's??
Or not scoring in London if he fail to score in Emirates
So what's your criticism ?? be specific ..!
It has been over explained in the last pages, dig up
El Flaco
Active member
According to Transfermarkt, Messi have 37 assists in 99 appearances for Argentina so far.
I searched the same numbers for Maradona in his 91 appearances for Argentina,
But a lot of games are missing and it only says he played 34 appearances.
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