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Boateng reckoned Messi’s relaxed attitude to warming-up before games had an adverse effect on youngsters who saw him as their idol. In a misinterpreted approach, several players started spending less time on the training ground which in turn affected their fitness levels.
Lionel Messi, Kevin-Prince Boateng. (X)
Kevin-Prince Boateng has made a shocking revelation about Lionel Messi’s training habits at Barcelona. As part of the Catalan side, Boateng and Messi shared the dressing room for a brief period in the 2018-19 season. The former Ghana international came from Serie A side Sassuolo on loan. He made only four appearances for Barcelona across all competitions but left with a LaLiga medal. Messi led the team from the front and struck 36 goals to finish as the league’s leading scorer that season.
In a recent chat with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Boateng reminisced about his Barcelona stint and claimed that Messi had a negative influence on the young player of the team. He mainly pointed his finger at the Argentine’s approach at the training ground.
“So we come in the dressing room, he’s (Messi) just sitting there on his phone and gets a massage sitting down. Two minutes before we go out, he just stands up, closes his boots, and goes out,” Boateng said on the ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ podcast.
“For the warm-up for the Champions League game against Liverpool, we did the crossbar challenge and then he goes back inside. The coach made the last adjustment. Messi is on the phone face-timing, and 30 seconds before we go out he just comes and puts his jacket on and BOOM, goal, goal, goal,” he recalled further.
Boateng reckoned Messi’s attitude had an adverse effect on youngsters who saw him as their idol. Following his footsteps, several players started spending less time on the training ground and it affected their fitness level.
“That’s what the young players did in Barcelona: Malcom, Dembele, they looked at him and they didn’t train so then going to the game, they got injured. He’s the only one in the world that can do that,” Boateng explained to Ferdinand.
Messi, a La Masia graduate, parted ways with Barcelona in 2021 and joined French club Paris Saint Germain on a two-year deal. He remains the all-time top scorer of the Spanish side, having registered 672 goals in 778 appearances across tournaments. Messi helped Barcelona win 35 trophies including 10 LaLigas and four Champions League titles.
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