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Ex-Barcelona manager rips Lionel Messi, compares him to Michael Jordan
By Daniel Canova
Published November 01, 2020
Barcelona star Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of all-time.
And according to his former head coach, Quique Setien, Messi shares a lot of the same characteristics as Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, which includes the desperation to win.
"It's true that there are players that are not easy to manage, among them, Leo," Setien told El Pais newspaper, as translated by ESPN. "It's difficult when someone is accustomed to winning."
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Seven months into his run as manager of Barcelona, Setien was fired after the team suffered a devastating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in a Champions League match back in August. Messi fired shots at the team following the loss, calling Barcelona “very weak”, and even threatened to leave the team before finally deciding to return after Setien was let go.
"And when inside him, it generates an anxiety when you don't achieve that (win), it harms you. The demand that exists today in football is brutal, it has saturated him and others that need to permanently win."
In August, Messi submitted a request to cancel his contract with the team, but he withdrew it 10 days later because he would have ended up fighting a legal battle with Barcelona. So far this season, Messi has three goals and two assists in eight appearances for the team in La Liga and Champions League competition.
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"After my departure, one thing that is clear to me is that at certain times I should have taken other decisions but there's something above you: the club and the fans," Setien said. "They are above a president, a player, a coach. You owe the respect to them (fans) and you have to do what is most convenient for the club."
As for Messi, Setien said that he is quiet and only shows what he wants others to see, but his need to win is not the only thing that makes him difficult to manage.
"There's another facet beyond just the player and it's more difficult to manage,” Setien added. “Much more difficult. It's something inherent in many athletes that can be seen in the Michael Jordan documentary ("The Last Dance"). You see things you don't expect."
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