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The German shot-stopper, who shared the dressing room with the Argentine World Cup winner for seven years, had his share of ups and downs with the eight-time Balon d’Or winner, but maintained that Messi was a class apar from any other player he has ever…Read More
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Lionel Messi. (X)
Barcelona captain Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has opened up about his complicated relationship with Lionel Messi. The duo had shared the dressing room for nearly seven years before Messi moved to French side Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. Despite spending a long time together at the Catalan club, Ter Stegen has claimed that his relationship with Messi went through several ups and downs. The German goalkeeper, however, always acknowledged the privilege of having the eight-time Ballon d’Or in the team. He joined Barcelona in 2014 and became the captain after Gerard Pique’s retirement in December 2022.
Playing under the leadership of Messi, Ter Stegen achieved tremendous success at Barcelona. They shared many titles, including four LaLigas and the 2015 Champions League. Teg Stegen was asked about his best memories with Messi during a recent interview with Bild.
“The good or the bad moments? We had them both [laughs]. Leo is a special character, who is at this (high) level because he’s motivated by a lot of things that we don’t see. There were moments when things didn’t work between us because he was annoyed with me and I was annoyed with him,” Ter Stegen recalled.
“I think Leo’s probably the only player that, if he wants to shoot right at your face, he can shoot right at your face. Other players would probably shoot somewhere else, but he’s got the ability to hit (the target) accurately,” he added.
Ter Stegen further insisted that he “never argued” with Messi despite sharing some bad moments. The 32-year-old then went on to discuss why Messi stands out among the other players of his generation.
“He has the ability that if he wants to make you look bad (on the pitch), then he does it with such ease and with a pass or a shot that you say afterwards: ‘That was impossible!’ I’ve experienced that more than once. And that’s why I’m glad I’ve always had him with me in games and not on the other side,” Ter Stegen explained.
The German international is currently recovering from a knee injury that he suffered in a match against Villareal in September 2022. In his absence, October signing Wojciech Szczesny has mostly served goalkeeping duties of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona this season.
