Ex-Barca star forged doubt on Messi’s management and drive at membership

Lionel Messi wasn’t a unbelievable captain, in line with Al-Shabab midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who performed with him at Barcelona.

From 2018 to 2021, Lionel Messi led Barcelona, taking residence the La Liga trophy in 2019. Throughout the staff’s transition from Andres Iniesta to himself, the Argentinian took over as captain. He would stay with the membership till 2021 when he left for Paris Saint-Germain.

Although Messi had an incredible profession with the Blraugrana total, his prize haul as captain was not that spectacular. Sadly, it included some infamous losses within the UEFA Champions League.

What did Rakitic say about Messi’s management throughout time with Barca?

Collectively, the Argentine and the Croat 4 league championships, with three completely different leaders on the helm. When 2020 rolled round, Rakitic was again at Sevilla. In current feedback, the previous Croatian worldwide has that Messi’s communication could have been higher.

“I don’t have to elucidate to Messi tips on how to play. I’ve to know the place to place myself in assault in order that I’ve a extra advantageous scenario. He doesn’t must defend, that’s my job.

“He might be the most effective left again on the planet if he wished.” However, Rakitic mentioned that the Argentine wasn’t the “greatest captain to let you know what you needed to do, as a result of he was distinctive, completely different. We misplaced the Champions in 2018 and 2019 ourselves.

“After all, the rivals deserved it, however I feel we didn’t strive laborious sufficient. We could have gotten uninterested in profitable. While you earn a lot, you lose focus and don’t take note of element, after which they kill you.”

Rakitic and Messi have been rivals extra typically than they have been teammates

However then, he proclaimed the ahead to be “the most effective” participant he has ever had the pleasure of enjoying with.

“In video games, it’s completely different, however once you work with him day-by-day, you may actually inform simply how good he’s, as a result of how he receives the ball and the way he already is aware of what’s occurring behind him, his actions, it’s really easy, his ending, he makes it look really easy. It’s not like he’s even taking pictures, it’s like he’s passing it into the aim.”

Pair might have nonetheless been teammates

Each gamers have subsequently departed Barcelona, with Messi becoming a member of Ligue 1 powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. After profitable the World Cup, the celebrity took over as captain of MLS staff Inter Miami the subsequent season.

Alongside the identical traces, Rakitic went again to his outdated membership Sevilla after leaving Camp Nou. That’s, till he joined Al-Shabab within the Saudi Professional League, one in all a number of gamers of their latter years to take a profitable provide.

However the 36-year-old could have been contemplating a transfer to Inter Miami previous to that, in line with earlier reviews. His former Barca colleagues together with Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are all thriving in Florida.

It could have been becoming for Rakitic to finish his enjoying profession with Inter Miami, the place he might have reunited with Messi and different Barcelona greats; additionally, the seasoned playmaker would have flourished in MLS amongst his prior American colleagues.

Picture credit: IMAGO / Cordon Press/Miguelez Sports activities : IMAGO / AFLOSPORT