Fabio Capello: " Leo Messi is the best player in the world "

Fabio Capello says Lionel Messi has defined an era and believes the Barcelona ace is on a par with Alfredo Di Stefano, Pele and Diego Maradona.

The Italian got his first glimpse of the Argentine back in August 2005 when he took his then Juventus side to Camp Nou for the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Capello was so taken with Messi's talent that he tried to sign him on the spot, so convinced was he that the diminutive forward was destined for greatness.

"Twenty-five minutes into the game, I approached [then-Barca boss] Frank Rijkaard about taking Messi to Juve," the ex-AC Milan coach told El Mundo Deportivo.

"I knew about some bureaucratic problems [at Barca] and I thought that he might not start the season in Barcelona.

"So, then it occurred to me to take him to Turin. But Frank told me that in three or four months everything would be all settled, and that Leo could play with Barca.

"But I remember when I saw his name in the line-up and then, he blew my mind.

"I could not believe that a player of his age could play like that, before 90,000 spectators, undeterred by [being marked] by someone like [Federico] Balzaretti.

"His personality, quality, dribbling, fantasy - he took the ball and went straight for goal with an unusual audacity.

"The likes of [Franco] Baresi or [Paolo] Maldini, they were players who already knew they would reach the 'top' because of the great talent they had.

"From there, much depends on the head of the player. But I noticed something different from what I had seen so far. With what he showed in that game against Juve, I no doubt that Messi would reach the top.

"You can talk about the best player in history, because football has had several different times and each player has excelled above the rest.

"First, it was Di Stefano, Pele, then later Maradona, and now Messi."

Messi inspired Barca to a treble last season but he was ably supported by Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Capello believes the Blaugrana will not have things all their own way in 2015-16, but says their strikeforce is capable of firing them to more silverware.

"I like Barca's coach a lot," the ex-England manager added. "Luis Enrique has offered great football: great passing but also speed.

"This season will be a bit more difficult, but the key will again be Messi, Neymar and Suarez.
"If all three return with the same team spirit and sense of sacrifice, they can continue to do great things."

Gerardo Martino has a piece of advice for Leo Messi

Argentina boss Gerardo Martino claims he would have quit the national team if he were Lionel Messi due to the heavy criticism the forward receives for his performances.

Although Messi is revered at Barcelona, the 28-year-old's reputation in his homeland is considerably worse, with many pundits and supporters blaming him for failure to win silverware in recent years.
Suggestions that he plays better for Barca than Argentina have dogged Messi all his career, but the vitriol towards his efforts escalated this summer following the nation's Copa America final defeat to Chile.

Martino – who has been in charge of the Albiceleste since the team lost the World Cup 2014 final – thinks Messi has every right to be frustrated with the way he is treated by his compatriots.
"Nobody told me that Messi is not allowed to play friendlies," he told Fox Sports. "Neither via his mouth, nor my mouth, nor the mouth of Argentina football association's president has Messi's absence been called for.

"To talk about such a thing is to give credence to rumours that don't deserve analysis. Those who criticise Messi's performances don't deserve to analyse football.

"Talk of him considering retiring from the national team is frustrating but understandable; if I was Messi, I'd have stopped playing for Argentina a long time ago."

Martino spent 2013-14 coaching Messi at Camp Nou before he returned to Argentina, replacing Alejandro Sabella at the helm of the national side while Luis Enrique took his Barca role.

Messi has made 103 appearances for his country, scoring 46 goals, but the only silverware he has to show for his international efforts came at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics.

  

Messi will get sick of Argentina abuse, warns Ginobili!

Argentine basketball icon Manu Ginobili has urged his compatriots to stop slating Lionel Messi, claiming the Barcelona ace will eventually get sick of the criticism and quit playing for the national team.

With Messi as their captain, the Albiceleste have reached the final of their last two tournaments - the 2014 World Cup and this year's Copa America.

However, they failed to lift the trophy on either occasion, losing 1-0 to Germany after extra-time in Rio just over 12 months ago, before then being beaten on penalties by tournament hosts Chile in Santiago earlier this month.

Those devastating defeats have prompted some Argentine pundits to question Messi's value to the national team and there have already been reports that the distraught forward has asked to be excused from his country's next fixture, a friendly against Mexico on September 8.

Ginobili, a four-time NBA champion, is stunned by the Barca star's treatment by certain sections of the process and now fears that Messi could soon walk away from international football for good.
"Messi is a monster: he has led us to the final of the last two tournaments," the renowned shooting guard told Radio Metro.

"It's really crazy to criticise the crown jewel of Argentine sport.

"One day, he's going to get sick of it and everyone will be left crying in the corner because he'll tell them to go to hell."

Messi, who left his native Rosario at 13 to move to Barcelona, inspired the Catalan club to a treble triumph last season and is the favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or.