Following his triumphant win at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni discussed the impact of his star player Lionel Messi, and how Argentina’s all-time leading scorer impacted his teammates.
Messi ended last year’s World Cup with the elusive trophy as well as the tournament’s Golden Ball in what many believe was his last World Cup.
Speaking on the popular Universo Valdano show, Scaloni dissected his star player’s contributions to his squad.
“He is a football leader, you can see that, but when he speaks he says the right words,” Scaloni stated.
“And I’ve never seen what he transmits to his teammates, not only as a footballer. In any person. It’s difficult, I can talk about it, but people would have to experience what he transmits when he speaks.
“How his teammates look at him, the way they look at him, with admiration… it’s very difficult to explain.
Scaloni then went on to highlight the importance of the 2021 Copa America in Brazil, a tournament that saw Messi pick up his first major title at the international stage.
“He enjoyed that Copa America in Brazil a lot and above all he felt comfortable playing with his teammates,” Scaloni added.
“The feeling of being next to him is that you don’t have to talk. You have to stay the same. De Paul stayed the same and he gets on well with him, Paredes, the young guys asked him questions that others don’t ask him…”
Finally, Scaloni also highlighted the importance of how Messi has continuously reinvented himself as a footballer, something that is key to his longevity.
“I think he learned a lot in the moments that he has to influence,” Scaloni stated.
“He knows how to manage himself, because he’s getting older and he knows himself. But he sets himself up in places where he knows he’s going to hurt the opponents. There are times when I tell him Leo, stick to the line to attract an opponent, and he comes, but not in the exact area I tell him, but in an area to put two opponents in doubt.
“He learnt that, it’s innate. It’s something unique and to experience it every day is impressive.”
Source: www.marca.com
