Lionel Messi, Argentine striker for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), stated this Monday in an interview with TyC Sports that Karim Benzema, Real Madrid forward, deserves the Ballon d’Or.
Messi analyzed his first year at PSG after leaving Barcelona. In addition to talking about Karim Benzema, he explained how his adaptation in the French capital has been. He also acknowledged that his current team had a bad time after being eliminated from the Champions League against Real Madrid.
“It is very clear that Benzema had a spectacular year and ended up consecrating himself with the Champions League , being fundamental from the round of 16 forward in all matches. I think there are no doubts this year”, he stated about the Ballon d’Or.
“The Real Madrid thing killed us“
One of the qualifiers in which Benzema had two good games was, precisely, against PSG. Messi referred to these two duels, admitting that he and his teammates were not happy after being eliminated.
“The Real Madrid thing killed us. The best does not always win. Real Madrid, without detracting from it, much less; because they are the champions of the Champions League and they are always there, they were not the best team in this Champions League”, he explained.
Along the same lines, he added: “I know what Real Madrid is, I lived it for many years; all life, up close. And I knew that this could happen, because out of nowhere they score a goal for you and automatically change the game. I also knew that on that court the first -20 minutes are upon you. And if that happens, then the game changes”, he pointed out.
Throughout the interview, Messi acknowledged that he does not want to say goodbye to football without winning the Champions League again. “I want to win it again. It pissed me off not being able to be there. It also makes me see that the best team does not always win, that the Champions League are situations; They are punctual moments, they are psychological moments that grab a team, where the slightest mistake leaves you out, ”he said.
Dispute with Robert Lewandowski
He also referred to Robert Lewandowski’s criticism regarding the latest edition of the Ballon d’Or, where the Argentine won for the seventh time. “Everyone says what they want. Obviously, he can express himself and say whatever he wants. I do not share what he said, but I did not give it much importance. What I said at that time I felt from my heart. I said he deserved the award the year before because he was the best, and that year he wasn’t.”
Likewise, he was nostalgic for his previous life in Barcelona. There, he declared, “he had everything” after growing up very young. In fact, he stressed, he lived in Barcelona longer than in Argentina, and reported that he had no plans to “change anything.”
“The first day from school was terrible, because Antonela and I left crying. We didn’t understand what we were doing there. Thiago understood everything, he missed his friends, but he quickly adapted. Mateo also adapted quickly. Ciro was finally starting school for the first time and we were less worried. It was a hard change, very hard. Adaptation was not easy. After all the years I spent at home, it was difficult for me, because I was older and did not want to go out, ”he recalled.
Message to his partner Mbappé On the words of Kylian Mbappé, who said that South American football in South America “is not as advanced as in Europe”, Messi offered a different point of view than his teammate.
“After his statements I did not speak with him. Sometimes we talk to the boys from Spain about how difficult it is to qualify in South America with the height of Bolivia, the heat of Venezuela or Ecuador, the fans. Here we have great teams with great players. We are prepared to fight with any European team”, he pointed out.
Finally, he spoke about what he will do after the World Cup to be played in Qatar: “I don’t know what will happen after the World Cup. I think about this and then I’ll see. It’s like what happened this year. I never thought I would leave Barcelona and in the end it happened. Football is very changeable and you never know”.
You can also read:
– The “Sports Bible” says that Lionel Messi had better performance than Karim Benzema during the season
– Record business: PSG entered more than $300 million dollars for sponsorships thanks to Lionel Messi
– “We were closer to eliminating Real Madrid than Chelsea o Manchester City”: Mauricio Pochettino causes controversy and laughter
– Mario Götze: from “taking away” the World Cup from Lionel Messi to playing outside the elite
