Lionel Messi Snubs Real Madrid Legend When Picking His Toughest Opponent of All-Time
- Lionel Messi has named Pablo Maffeo who had three loan spells at Girona as the toughest opponent he ever faced
- The Argentine snubbed Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos despite that both shared several intense El Clasico fixtures
- Maffeo once received praises from Messi for his intense man-marking in one of their encounters in the La Liga
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has named his toughest opponent of all-time as he ignores fierce rival and former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, SPORTbible reports.
Messi and Ramos were featured in several intense El Clasico clashes, but he did not mention the Spaniard as one of his toughest opponents.
The Argentine stated that the toughest man-marker he ever faced was Stuttgart’s right-back Pablo Maffeo, who had three loan spells at Girona.
Source: Getty Images
During his spell with Girona, Maffeo received accolades from Messi for his intense man-marking.
Messi told DAZN via GiveMeSport:
"Man-marking doesn't bother me. In truth, it hasn't happened to me that often. It doesn't bother me, but it is strange. Pablo Maffeo of Girona [was the toughest man-marker]. That was intense!
"If I'm not [playing bad], it's not a problem, it's part of the game and I don't take it personally."
Sergio Ramos lasted 16 years at Real Madrid winning the La Liga title five times as well as four Champions League trophies.
He equally snubbed Messi when asked about the toughest players he ever faced on the pitch of play when he mentioned Ronaldinho; Ramos then went on to praise Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto’o.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel
PSG star Neymar flaunts R148 million private helicopter
Meanwhile, Neymar has pushed the Copa America disappointment behind him as the Paris Saint Germain superstar is currently enjoying his summer break at an unknown destination as of the time of this publication.
The forward failed to help Brazil avoid defeat to Argentina in the final of the summer competition earlier this month as Angel di Maria's lone strike handing Lionel Scaloni's men the title in the end.
How Neymar urged Ramos to join PSG
earlier reported that Neymar was said to have masterminded Sergio Ramos' move to Paris Saint-Germain despite numerous offers from Premier League clubs this summer.
And according to SunSport, Ramos would have joined Manchester United as they seemed more serious among the three clubs looking to secure his services for free.
All these were before the intervention of PSG chiefs Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo Araújo including Neymar as they worked their magic on the Spaniards.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
