Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the most talented and gifted players the beautiful game has ever seen. A force to be reckoned with, and his Argentina teammate and Chelsea goalkeeper Caballero thinks exactly that.
The duo have not only faced each other numerous times on the training ground but also against one another during Caballero’s time at Malaga between 2010 and 2014, when Messi was out destroying defences in La Liga – as he has always done.
Speaking to 90min, Willy Caballero spoke of his ‘suffering’ on the pitch due to Messi’s footballing prowess. He said:
“Facing Messi, I had to suffer. He goes out to assassinate the goalkeepers. The goalkeepers, the defenders – he’s playing to kill. And killing means scoring as many goals as possible,”
According to the Argentine shot-stopper, as long as the little genius is out on the field, he’s there purely for one reason – to destroy opponents.
“He doesn’t care if you know him, if you’re Argentine or if you’re a friend. He’ll talk to you afterwards, greet you and everything else, but in those 90 minutes he’s on a mission to hit you with goals,” said Caballero.
At 33, Messi continues to shine for Barcelona. Whereas 39-year-old Caballero has seen his playing time cut even shorter after the arrival of Edouard Mendy – registering just two appearances this season. (transfermarkt)