“I wanted to hit him but I couldn't get him” - Real Madrid legend makes feelings clear about playing against Barcelona hero Lionel Messi 

Former Real Madrid defender Marcelo has opened up about his experiences playing against Lionel Messi, revealing the immense challenge the Barcelona legend posed on the field.

The Brazilian full-back, who recently called time on his career, shared his thoughts on facing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. He acknowledged Messi’s extraordinary ability to outmaneuver even the best defenders.

Marcelo spent over a decade at Real Madrid and played countless El Clasico matches against Barcelona where he mostly had to come up against Lionel Messi. Reflecting on past encounters with the Argentine maestro, Marcelo jokingly admitted his frustration at being unable to stop him.

Marcelo said while appearing on Spanish TV program La Revuelta on Monday, March 3 (via Forbes):

“I appreciate him a lot. He’s a crack, he’s incredible. I thought you were going to show me the videos in which he made a fool of me.

“I didn’t even see him pass me. He was very fast. But no problem, I was born in a place where dribbling is the best, not being dribbled,” added the Rio de Janeiro native, who was indeed shown a clip of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner getting the better of him at another point of the broadcast.

“To pick one of the best in history... And the ones who have played before? Maradona, Pele, Di Stefano, Cruyff...,” added Marcelo, before joking that “the problem” with Messi “is that I wanted to hit him but I couldn’t get him.”

Interestingly, Marcelo played against Lionel Messi the most throughout his professional career. He faced the Argentine icon 33 times (W10, D7, L16).

"Many people want to compare but they forget to enjoy it" – Marcelo refuses to be drawn into the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate

Speaking further, Marcelo refused to take sides in the eternal GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and his archrival Lionel Messi. He thinks that fans should enjoy the pair rather them comparing them.

He said (via Mundo Deportivo):

"Cristiano thinks he's better. There was a time when it was tough because one of us scored two, the other had to score three... We saw this live and we enjoyed it a lot. Many people want to compare but they forget to enjoy it."

Marcelo added that he has a good relationship with some former Barcelona players despite the rivalry between them:

"I get on very well with some of the Barça players. I have dealings with Piqué, I talk to him. Piqué is very authentic, very sincere. I like people to be sincere. I have a lot of respect for Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi... Guardiola's time was complicated. We had to try to keep the ball, but it was very difficult."