Messi: "Spain is what Luis Enrique wants"

MADRID, 14 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Argentine international Leo Messi has assured that Luis Enrique's style is "recognized" in the Spanish football team, in addition to explaining that 'la Roja' "is clear about what he plays" despite being "very young", and He believes that he will be a "protagonist" in his matches at the World Cup in Qatar.

"His team is greatly appreciated, this selection belongs to him. I, who knew him and worked with him, know what he is and you realize that it is what he wants," he said in an extensive interview with the program 'Universo Valdano ' from Movistar. "It's a very young team but they are clear about what they play for, that they get the ball out. The players are going to be protagonists regardless of the rival," he added.

The former Barça striker also stated that he had "a spectacular relationship" with the Asturian coach during his time at FC Barcelona. "With Luis Enrique I had a spectacular relationship until the last day. When he told us that he wanted to leave, we asked him to stay, not to leave, that we were fine despite having been eliminated with Juventus. It was a part of my very important career, like Guardiola's," he stressed.

In this sense, he downplayed the famous anger between the two in a match at Anoeta. "I came back from Argentina after vacation and we played at the beginning of January. I ended up going to the bank and we had a discussion that lasted a little while. I am a person who reacts as I react, I do not control myself at all and the second I regret not having thought about it more I am like that, I was never a fake. I was wrong thousands of times and I will continue to be wrong, "he said.

Regarding Barça's sextet, Messi stressed the importance of Pep Guardiola in everything that happened. "It was an extraordinary stage because everything happened: Guardiola is coming with what he taught us, a unique generation of players... It was impressive to go play anywhere knowing that we were going to beat whoever it was, and in the way that We did. We had painful defeats, but we had confidence. If I regret something at that time, it is not having enjoyed it more, day by day, of each training...", he confessed.

"We made it so easy and it was so natural... Over time you realize that it was something unique. Guardiola did football a lot of harm, because it seemed so easy! You realize what we did. Guardiola has something special, especially to watch the matches", he continued. "Guardiola was something special. Luis Enrique is very similar, especially in the way he prepares matches; he had more or less the same philosophy," he continued.

In another order of things, the former Barça player pointed to the 2005 Joan Gamper Trophy as the game that made him known to the general public and also to FC Barcelona itself. "That Gamper changed the image of the club towards me," he said, before speaking of the reception of players like Ronaldinho or Deco. "Ronaldinho, Deco, Silvinho, Motta, the people of the house like Xavi, Iniesta, Valdés, Puyol... They adopted me like one of their own. The way they treated me from the first day was spectacular", he affirmed.

He also spoke of his first contacts with the albiceleste. "I remember telling my dad 'we have to do something so they know I'm here'. In the U-17 tournament, in which Argentina lost to Spain, the coach asked Cesc Fàbregas, who scored two goals, for me. That way I got to be known in Argentina and I went to two friendlies," he said.

In addition, he recalled the worst moments with Argentina. "Although I always felt the affection of a large part of Argentines, another questioned me; people gave their opinion about everything I did. In 2006 I had not played with Germany and they already began to criticize me; at one point the match was stopped, I tied a booty and they stayed with me. That's when they started hitting me. 2007 was very good, but we lost the Copa América final against Brazil," he recalled, before recalling his tears after winning the 2021 Copa América. "There were so many years, so many disappointments and lost endings...", he said.