Ronald Koeman‘s assistant manager has come out publicly stating that Lionel Messi has to endure rough treatment day in and day out.
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Koeman’s right-hand man, Alfred Schreuder, has given the media a take on his opinion on the way their club captain is treated on the field. According to the coach, the Argentine is often stopped via illegal methods but the repercussions are not given to the offenders.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner has dominated the La Liga for a long time, having won several individual awards as well as 10 league titles. Thus it is not hard to see why defenders will often refer to unjust methods in order to stop him.
Assistant coach gives his take on the way Lionel Messi is treated by opponents
The 32-year-old has incredible ball control and it is almost impossible to take the ball off of him without fouling him. However, Schreuder has given the media a more cynical take on the situation as he says the opponents will deliberately kick the player or use their hands to stop him.
In an interview with AD, the assistant coach came forward and gave his two cents on the topic. He said,
"“Getafe, Atletico Madrid, Bilbao are willing to do everything that is forbidden.”“Messi will be hit five or six times in matches. Without a crowd you literally hear what opponents say to each other. When Leo gets the ball, you hear, ‘Foul! Kick him down!’”“But that does not work and then they beat him down. Just like that, with the palm of their hand.”Source Goal"
He went on to say that back in the Netherlands, this type of foul play would result in a straight red card however, in Spain the referees only show a yellow card and the play goes on. He also said that in a way it is commendable as the opponents have shown that they will try to win at any cost.
Messi’s career at Barcelona is still not secured however and he could leave the club at the end of the season for free. The elections are supposed to take place today and after a new president is elected, his first task will be to convince the superstar to extend his contract with the club. So far, the Argentine has a choice among a few clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami thus it will be a tough decision and we must wait and see how things unfold.
Do you think Messi will stay on after the end of the season?