Lionel Messi once revealed that Barcelona players “hated” a Premier League club even more than their traditional rivals, Real Madrid – a sentiment he admitted he “never thought” he would express.
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The Argentine star, who was still a teenager at the time, made these remarks during an interview with the News of the World in 2005. ..Continue Reading
His comments came in the wake of a heated Champions League last-16 encounter between Barcelona and Chelsea.
Tensions escalated after Chelsea mounted an unforgettable comeback at Stamford Bridge, following a contentious first leg.
During that game, Didier Drogba’s red card sparked controversy, with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho making critical remarks about referee Anders Frisk.
The drama left Barcelona players feeling embittered. By 2006, ahead of another last-16 showdown, an 18-year-old Messi did not hold back when discussing his strong feelings about Chelsea.
“There are [Barcelona] players here who hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid,” he said.
“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.”
Messi delivered a brilliant performance for Barcelona, even after being brought down by Chelsea defender Asier Del Horno, who received a red card for a reckless challenge on the Argentine star.
The Catalans secured a first-leg lead thanks to an own goal by John Terry and a late finish from Samuel Eto’o. They went on to eliminate Jose Mourinho’s team with a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou.
That season, Barcelona triumphed in the Champions League, with Juliano Belletti scoring a dramatic late winner against Arsenal at the Stade de France.
Years later, Messi described Barcelona’s 2012 Champions League loss to Chelsea as one of the most painful moments of his career.
“I would have liked to have tried to win another Champions League,” he said in 2021, when he announced his decision to leave Barca.
“We got knocked out in the semi-final’s by Liverpool which stopped us getting to another final. We got to the semi-final with Chelsea with Pep [Guardiola], they prevented us from getting to another final.
“And I think there could have been another time where we could have won another Champions League.”
