LIONEL MESSI MAY have won five Ballon d’Or trophies, but he insists that he is not yet the “perfect” player.
The Barcelona icon is widely regarded as one of the best footballers ever to play the game, and has again posted excellent numbers thus far this season, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists in 25 appearances in all competitions.
The Argentina captain will be heading to the World Cup this summer in search of his crowning achievement, but he maintains that he still has to “practice” penalties if he is to become the complete footballer many already believe him to be.
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“I want to be perfect and yet there are some parts of game I have to improve to reach the maximum level. Which part? Penalties, I have to practice them more,” he told Blic.
Messi has also claimed that he is unlikely to move into management once he retires, while he says that he rarely speaks about football when away from the game spending time with his family.
“I will probably not be a coach after I retire, but there is enough time, I can still change my mind,” he added.
“At home we rarely speak about football, it has to be something special around Barcelona or Argentina to open discussion about football during family lunch.”
While Messi has achieved almost everything there is to achieve within the football world, he believes it pales in comparison to him becoming a father.
“I live a perfectly normal family life. Yes, sometimes I wish I could take my family for a walk without fans stopping me at every step. It feels incredible to be a parent, a father, it is one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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Messi: I'm not the perfect player... I need to practice penalties
LIONEL MESSI MAY have won five Ballon d’Or trophies, but he insists that he is not yet the “perfect” player.
The Barcelona icon is widely regarded as one of the best footballers ever to play the game, and has again posted excellent numbers thus far this season, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists in 25 appearances in all competitions.
The Argentina captain will be heading to the World Cup this summer in search of his crowning achievement, but he maintains that he still has to “practice” penalties if he is to become the complete footballer many already believe him to be.
“I want to be perfect and yet there are some parts of game I have to improve to reach the maximum level. Which part? Penalties, I have to practice them more,” he told Blic.
Messi has also claimed that he is unlikely to move into management once he retires, while he says that he rarely speaks about football when away from the game spending time with his family.
“At home we rarely speak about football, it has to be something special around Barcelona or Argentina to open discussion about football during family lunch.”
While Messi has achieved almost everything there is to achieve within the football world, he believes it pales in comparison to him becoming a father.
“I live a perfectly normal family life. Yes, sometimes I wish I could take my family for a walk without fans stopping me at every step. It feels incredible to be a parent, a father, it is one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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