Ter Stegen admits he ‘didn’t always get along’ with Messi
The Barcelona goalkeeper has spoken about the GOAT
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has admitted he didn’t always get along with Lionel Messi at Barcelona but has stressed how much he respects the GOAT.
There have been many whispers through the years that Ter Stegen and Messi didn’t enjoy the best relationship, and the German has offered a bit of insight.
“Leo is a special character at this level because he’s motivated by a lot of things we don’t see, I think. We’ve had times when we didn’t get along because he was upset with me and I was upset with him,” he told Bild’s podcast.
“I think Leo is probably the only player who, if he wants to shoot you in the face, can do it. The others would probably shoot anywhere, but he has the ability to hit the target.
“But not at all angry, in the sense that it didn’t drag on or anything like that. Leo is simply an impressive character on the pitch, and he plays with a lightness that will never be seen again, I’m 100% sure of that.
“He has the ability; if he wants to make you look bad, he does it so easily, and with a pass or a shot that you’ll say afterwards: “That’s impossible!” And I’ve experienced it many times. And that’s also why I’m glad I always had him with me in the games and not on the other side.
“We never argued, so to speak. But we had our moments, and that’s fine. We were together in the locker room for a long time, and it was certainly interesting to have him on the team and see how he leads.
“Whether or not that’s my style, it was interesting to watch. Leo isn’t a loudmouth; he works very much with presence and needs to say relatively little, honestly. And when he says something, everyone listens. And that’s what you really want as a captain: to be heard and followed.”
Ter Stegen also spoke about how he came closing to leaving the club in 2016 to join Manchester City, as he wanted to be the undisputed No.1, but Luis Enrique wouldn’t let him go.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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