A suggestion from a member of the coaching staff could radically change the history of the star and, why not say it, of world football.
Lionel Messi is one of the best footballers in history. The place it occupies in this exclusive ranking depends on multiple objective and subjective factors. What no one can discredit is that the trans-Andean tournament marked an era in world football. His definitive coronation came with victory at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
However, The story of La Pulga could have been radically different, a consideration which, given the circumstances, can also be extended to that of the world’s most popular sport. . A report, at this singular stage, could significantly alter events.
Guardiola’s assistant who didn’t want Messi
Cristian Hernández who trained with Messi at La Masía, the laboratory where Barcelona’s cadets prepare, revealed a special story. He refers specifically to a particular assessment concerning the transandine carried out by a collaborator of Josep Guardiola.
The goal is Rodolfo Borrell who collaborated with Pep for 10 years, between 1996 and 2006. That is, he was also an assistant coach at Manchester City. “When I was in Can Barça We had a coach called Rodolfo Borrell who, years later, became the second coach of Pep Guardiola who didn’t like Leo Messi “, he reveals.
Hernández details Borrell’s particular diagnosis regarding Messi’s qualities. “He said he was a futsal player, that he walked on the ball a lot and that he dribbled a lot and, in reality, it was the opposite, because if there was something in Messi, it is that he was going straight to the goal. . Rodolfo Borrell said it clearly. He said he was not a club player,” he said.
Categorical and erroneous conclusion
At that time, Messi was 13 years old, but if Guardiola and the club culé had heeded this suggestion, they would have been deprived of one of the greatest talents football has ever produced. “He was not a Barcelona player,” was, according to Hernández, Borrell’s categorical conclusion. “Ultimately, we’re not going to find out about Leo Messi, but that’s what a Barca youth team coach said. », he maintains, reaffirming the testimony.
Over the years, Messi has shown that he is indeed a Barça player. He has accumulated 778 official matches with the Barcelona club jersey. His individual productivity is in the history books: 672 goals and 303 assists.
The Catalan entity benefited directly from his talent. During his time at the club, Messi won 34 titles, ten of which Spanish leagues four Champions League and three Club World Cups .
After leaving Manchester City, Borrell worked as sporting director of Austin FC of Major League Soccer in the United States.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
