Athletico Madrid player, Koke has admitted that it almost impossible to stop Barcelona FC’s Argentine player, Lionel Messi. Speaking with Marca, he said,
“For me, he’s the best in the world.
“When you’re on the pitch against him, what you’re thinking is that he doesn’t have his best day.
“It’s very difficult [to stop him]. You have to cover a lot of ground, always help in defence… and hope it’s not his day.
“You know he’s going to start a move, you see it, you prepare to cover it… and then he does it. Or, he’ll suddenly invent something, because he has a lot of creativity.
“Why isn’t he just taken out? Because it’s almost impossible.”
Koke who has had plenty of experiences with the Argentine at club level agrees that there is little an opponent can do to prepare for the challenge the 30-year-old presents. He says Messi is seen as a match decider at club level and with his national team.
“Everyone looks for him when it comes to games, either for Barcelona or his national team, because he decides matches with a goal, a pass,” he said. “When you watch him on TV, it seems like he suddenly changes gear.
“If you have him on your team, it’s normal that you’d look for him.”
As Spain prepares for a friendly against Argentina, Koke speaks on the excitement of putting on the Spanish jersey.
“It’s always a point of pride to wear the Spain shirt and to play in your own stadium is amazing,”
“The excitement around the national team has been lost a bit and we’re recovering it with the good work we’ve done in the last two years. People have become engaged again”, he said.
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