Lionel Messi revealed that one Premier League team was despised by his Barcelona teammates even more than their fierce El Clasico rivals, Real Madrid.
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The Argentine star won four Champions League trophies with Barcelona and earned the man-of-the-match award in the 2011 final ..Continue Reading
Over the years, Messi frequently faced Premier League clubs in Europe, experiencing a mixture of successes and disappointments.
One particular match left a lasting sting in 2005, during Messi’s second year as a professional player. At just 17, he wasn’t part of the squad when Chelsea staged a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory over Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona at Stamford Bridge to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
In the buildup, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho criticized referee Anders Frisk after Didier Drogba’s red card in the first leg, which added extra tension to the decisive second leg.
The following year, Barcelona and Chelsea met again in the Champions League last-16 round, and Messi didn’t hold back in expressing his feelings about the intense rivalry.
He said: “There are players here who hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid. I never thought I would hear myself say that.
“I also never thought I would see something worse than the Boca and River Plate rivalry or Brazil vs Argentina. But this is.
“We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea.”
The Argentinian avenged his team’s earlier defeat to Chelsea with an outstanding display at Stamford Bridge in the second leg, as Barcelona staged a memorable 2-1 comeback victory after trailing in the second half.
Under Rijkaard’s guidance, the team advanced to the final, where they mounted yet another late resurgence to defeat a 10-man Arsenal side.
Unfortunately, Messi missed the Paris final due to a hamstring injury, which he sustained during the victory at Stamford Bridge following a brutal challenge by Asier del Horno. Reflecting on that match, Messi later admitted that one of his post-game decisions remains a rare regret in his illustrious career.
He told AS in 2021: “I’m sorry I didn’t [go out, to celebrate with my team-mates].
“Until my injury, I participated in every Champions League game in my career. I was disappointed.
“I deeply regret that episode. We won that Champions League and I was not sure what would happen again, because it is a difficult competition to win.”
Thankfully for Messi, he would go on to win the UEFA Champions League again – just the three more times.
