5. Barcelona chief on ‘why Ibrahimovic – Messi partnership didn’t work’
Zlatan and Messi at Barcelona
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was once Messi’s teammate at FC Barcelona – although only for the 2009/10 season. The Swede bagged 21 goals that campaign, while Messi notched an incredible 47.
Those tallies would suggest that the pair had a pretty successful relationship but it’s been revealed that wasn’t quite the case.
Former marketing director at Barcelona, Marc Ingla, has explained the problem the two forwards had at the club.
“Why did not it work for Ibra in Barca? Zlatan is a beast, a machine,” Ingla said.
“But it was next to another machine, smaller … (laughs) it was too static, Messi might need more space. Zlatan took too much. There was a bit of friction, I believe.”
4. Ronaldinho: ‘‘Gabriel Jesus will overtake Messi as football’s greatest’’
Gabriel Jesus – Manchester City
Jesus has burst onto the Premier League scene after completing his £27million move to Manchester City last month.
The 19-year-old has scored three goals in four appearances so far, including a double to beat Swansea last time out, and has kept Sergio Aguero on the bench for the last two games.
And former Barcelona star Ronaldinho is confident his Brazilian compatriot will one day take over from Messi as the best player in the world.
“Manchester City have a very special player with Gabriel Jesus,” Ronaldinho said. “Maybe even, in the future, the best player in the world.
“At the moment it is Messi. I have always said I think one day it will be Neymar. But at 19, in the future, it can be Gabriel. He has all the abilities to make that happen.”
3. Moura: ‘‘The only way to stop Messi is to tie him up’’
Moura (PSG) against Messi (FC Barcelona)
Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas jokes that the only way to stop Lionel Messi is “to tie him up.”
The Brazilian can afford to laugh for he doesn’t have to defend against Messi on Tuesday night, when Barcelona arrives for the first leg of their Champions League match.
With a quarterfinal place at stake, PSG have only themselves to blame for landing Barcelona after finishing second in their group behind Arsenal.
PSG’s quest for European success has developed a frustrating pattern, ending at the quarterfinals in the past four seasons.
Yet PSG still face the prospect of doing worse than last year unless they find a way past Barcelona. It feels like now or never for a PSG side enjoying massive investment from Qatari backers, QSI, since their takeover in June 2011.
“That’s what is missing for us,” Lucas said in a recent interview. “We need to win something in Europe.”
2. Alvaro Morata confessed that he misses Juventus dressing room
Alvaro Morata at Juventus
Morata’s impressive form saw him recalled prior to the 2016-17 campaign by Madrid, who invoked a £23m buy-back clause written into his contract, but he admits to missing the camaraderie in the Juve dressing room and even suggests that he likely would have stayed in place if not for the terms of his deal.
“I am not Italian, but I gave everything for the Bianconeri shirt and I was willing to stay there many years,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
“Juventus knew that. The only problem was that Madrid had been my dream since when I was little. Without the buy-back option, you would have had to drive me to get me away from Turin!’’
1. James Rodriguez to snub Man United for Bayern in the summer
The Colombian international will snub a move to Manchester United to play for Bayern Munich when he leaves Real Madrid at the end of the season, as per reports.
Spanish publication Don Balon have reported that James Rodriguez has decided where he wants to play next season when he leaves Real Madrid in the summer, claiming that the Colombian will snub Manchester United in favour of a move to Bayern Munich.
The fortunes don’t seem to be improving for James Rodriguez as he continues to be out of favour with Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, and has fallen way down the pecking order behind the likes of Isco, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez.
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