BARCELONA MIDFIELDER ARDA Turan believes superstar forward Lionel Messi is “a miracle from God”.
Turan, who joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid during the close season when the club were barred from registering new players under Fifa transfer sanctions, made his long-awaited Liga debut in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Granada.
Messi typically took centre stage with a hat-trick, although Turan had a hand in his heroics — crossing for the eighth-minute opener and cleverly dummying a pass to Neymar in the build-up to the Argentinian’s third.
Tomorrow, Messi is favourite to collect the fifth Ballon d’Or of his career in Zurich and Turan told Turkish newspaper Sabah: “I have never seen anyone like Leo Messi.
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“He is a miracle from God. I like it when he does his things on the field. “It’s not jealousy – I feel good, for instance, when he nutmegs someone.”
Brazil striker Neymar is also in the running to be crowned world player of the year after he was included on the three-man shortlist for the first time.
Messi and Neymar, along with overlooked Uruguay star Luis Suarez, formed a formidable front three that propelled Barca to five trophies in 2015, including a second Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble in six seasons.
Messi, who won the award four times in a row from 2009-2012, scored 48 goals for Barca in 2015 as the Catalan giants reclaimed their status as the world’s top club side, easily overcoming South American champions River Plate in the Club World Cup in Japan last month.
Barca boss Luis Enrique, who is up for coach of the year alongside Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Jorge Sampaoli — the mastermind behind Chile’s Copa America triumph — said: “It is the personality that a world number one has. (Messi) is a unique and unrepeatable player.”
By comparison, it was a turbulent season for Ronaldo — world player of the year in 2008, 2013 and 2014 — and Real Madrid as they played second fiddle to their arch rivals despite a contribution of 54 goals in 52 games from their Portuguese talisman.
Neymar may appear an outsider for the award this time, but the 23-year-old Brazilian is emerging as the main threat to end the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or stranglehold — Kaka in 2007 was the last player other than the dominant duo to claim the prize — after transforming his prodigious talent into 41 goals of his own this past year.
Enrique also insisted that Messi should walk away with another prize in Zurich after being nominated for the best goal of the year for his sensational solo effort in the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.
Messi’s strike is up against Alessandro Florenzi’s incredible long-range effort against Barcelona for Roma back in September and Brazilian Wendell Lira, but Enrique believes the setting of Messi’s goal in a cup final gives it added value.
“It is more difficult to beat four or five players in a Cup final. The other one is in a Champions League group game and obviously has its merit. Florenzi is a player with a spectacular shot, but for me Messi’s has more merit,” said Enrique.
Messi is 'a miracle from God'
Updated: 1030
BARCELONA MIDFIELDER ARDA Turan believes superstar forward Lionel Messi is “a miracle from God”.
Turan, who joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid during the close season when the club were barred from registering new players under Fifa transfer sanctions, made his long-awaited Liga debut in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Granada.
Messi typically took centre stage with a hat-trick, although Turan had a hand in his heroics — crossing for the eighth-minute opener and cleverly dummying a pass to Neymar in the build-up to the Argentinian’s third.
Tomorrow, Messi is favourite to collect the fifth Ballon d’Or of his career in Zurich and Turan told Turkish newspaper Sabah: “I have never seen anyone like Leo Messi.
“He is a miracle from God. I like it when he does his things on the field. “It’s not jealousy – I feel good, for instance, when he nutmegs someone.”
Brazil striker Neymar is also in the running to be crowned world player of the year after he was included on the three-man shortlist for the first time.
Messi and Neymar, along with overlooked Uruguay star Luis Suarez, formed a formidable front three that propelled Barca to five trophies in 2015, including a second Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble in six seasons.
Messi, who won the award four times in a row from 2009-2012, scored 48 goals for Barca in 2015 as the Catalan giants reclaimed their status as the world’s top club side, easily overcoming South American champions River Plate in the Club World Cup in Japan last month.
Barca boss Luis Enrique, who is up for coach of the year alongside Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Jorge Sampaoli — the mastermind behind Chile’s Copa America triumph — said: “It is the personality that a world number one has. (Messi) is a unique and unrepeatable player.”
By comparison, it was a turbulent season for Ronaldo — world player of the year in 2008, 2013 and 2014 — and Real Madrid as they played second fiddle to their arch rivals despite a contribution of 54 goals in 52 games from their Portuguese talisman.
Neymar may appear an outsider for the award this time, but the 23-year-old Brazilian is emerging as the main threat to end the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or stranglehold — Kaka in 2007 was the last player other than the dominant duo to claim the prize — after transforming his prodigious talent into 41 goals of his own this past year.
Enrique also insisted that Messi should walk away with another prize in Zurich after being nominated for the best goal of the year for his sensational solo effort in the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.
Messi’s strike is up against Alessandro Florenzi’s incredible long-range effort against Barcelona for Roma back in September and Brazilian Wendell Lira, but Enrique believes the setting of Messi’s goal in a cup final gives it added value.
“It is more difficult to beat four or five players in a Cup final. The other one is in a Champions League group game and obviously has its merit. Florenzi is a player with a spectacular shot, but for me Messi’s has more merit,” said Enrique.
additional reporting from AFP 2016
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