In a 2008 interview, Real Madrid legend Raul heaped praise on Lionel Messi, lauding him for his extraordinary ball control. The Spaniard also admitted that he would rather watch Messi than his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi, who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup to complete his trophy collection, is widely hailed as one of the greatest players of all time. The Barcelona legend has won seven Ballons d’Or awards, ten La Liga, one Ligue 1 and four UEFA Champions League trophies, among others.
A devastating scorer and visionary playmaker, Messi has used his close control and nimble footwork to get the better of his opponents. In a 2008 interview with Jorge Valdano for La Sexta, then-Real Madrid captain Raul praised Messi’s ball control, claiming that it was impossible to replicate.
“The other day I saw one of his games. He was running with the ball at a hundred percent full speed, I don’t know how many touches he took, maybe five or six, but the ball was glued to his foot. It’s practically impossible,” Raul said.
As the interview took place after the 2008 Ballon d’Or, Raul was asked to pick between the winner Ronaldo and the runner-up Messi. The legendary forward admitted that he enjoyed watching the Argentine more. When asked to take his pick, Raul said:
“Man. … if I choose one, then the other is going to say that … (laughs) I really believe that they are both good. Messi is a player who will become something incredible if he can stay away from injuries.”
Messi went on to win the next four Ballons d’Or awards (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), establishing himself as an unstoppable force. The Argentina icon also proved to be Barcelona’s greatest weapon against their arch-rivals Real Madrid.
He played 45 games against the Whites in Barcelona colours, winning 19, drawing 11 and losing 15. He scored 26 times and claimed 14 assists against Los Merengues between 2005 and 2021.
Real Madrid want to appoint manager who coached Lionel Messi if Carlo Ancelotti is sacked
Los Blancos will look to appoint former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino if Carlo Ancelotti is dismissed, Spanish outlet Sport has reported.
Real Madrid have not been at their best this season. In January, they lost the Spanish Super Copa final to Barcelona. In La Liga, too, they are trailing the Blaugrana, with Madrid sitting eight points behind them in the standings, albeit with a game in hand.
It’s believed that Ancelotti could be sacked if the club fail to win any trophies this season, just like he was in the 2014-15 season. In that case, Pochettino could be appointed as his successor, as Madrid are reportedly fond of the Argentine.
It has been claimed that Pochettino, whom PSG sacked last summer after he failed to live up to expectations, is above Thomas Tuchel and Zinedine Zidane on Madrid’s wishlist.
Source: sportskeeda
