Messi has often been compared to Argentine legend Diego Maradona because of their similar styles of play. Martino agreed that there are several similarities between the too but he cited an important distinction.
“At Barca he was the same -- a quiet guy who would only speak when necessary -- but when he did speak, you took notice. They both win when it comes to dribbling, also in terms of vision, dead balls”
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“As for leadership, maybe Diego had more of a role in the dressing room. It's not that Messi doesn't have that skill, but it doesn't interest him. He wants to play football.” Barcelona will be counting on Messi once again on Saturday to get the team over the line and ensure they lift their second successive title.
Messi is hardly ever on the losing side because he just loves to win. But he has had his fair share of heartbreaks during his stellar career. One of more recent setbacks occurred when Barcelona were enduring a poor run of form and the Argentine couldn't find the back of the net.
But in the last of those defeats which happened a few weeks ago, he still managed to score a goal. Since then the Catalans have recovered and are on a winning streak. Dropping all those points has let Real Madrid back into the race and the title is now set to be decided on the final day of the season.
Former Barca coach Tata Martino has revealed that Messi, like any other player, is affected by setbacks. But the coach said his ability to recover mentally is what sets him apart. In an interview with Spanish football magazine Paneka he talked about the Argentine’s mental strength.
“After a big defeat, any player feels affected -- it is about how long he needs to recover. That process is always shorter with this class of player. He had a dip in his form at Barcelona, but we have also seen what happened last weekend.” said the manager.
Messi has done the impossible so many times now that people expect him to deliver every time he steps onto the pitch. Martino said that his ability to shoulder the expectation of so many fans is not surprising but losses do affect him “There are no doubts about him on a footballing level. On a personal level it is normal that he is affected, and that it gets sorted out.’ he said.
