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Lionel Messi: Any Barcelona Player Could Have Won Ballon d'Or
The striker says every one of his team-mates deserved the prize.
Dec 1, 2009 5:58:08 PM
Barcelona forward and newly crowned Ballon d'Or for 2009, Lionel Messi, has declared that any one of his Blaugrana team-mates could have won the prestigious accolade.
The 22-year-old Argentinian finally claimed the award this year with a record 473 points after finishing 3rd and 2nd in 2007 and 2008 respectively, officially confirming him as the best player in European football.
"Any of my team-mates could have won it because everyone in this locker room deserved it," he told a press conference.
Messi said that he was glad to win the award but said that he is more interested in claiming "collective titles rather than individual awards" but also remarked that he was happy to be the first Argentinian and the first player from Barcelona's youth system to claim the prize.
The Argentine forward also praised coach Pep Guardiola as a key influence in his career.
"I've always said he [Guardiola] is a very important person, not just for me but for the whole group, there is a relationship beyond the normal coach-player relationship," he stated.
Paul Madden, Goal.com
Who is the Very Best? Just the coolest world music group right now. They talk about their love of football--Henrik Larsson!--in the DEC/JAN issue of Goal.com Magazine.
The 22-year-old Argentinian finally claimed the award this year with a record 473 points after finishing 3rd and 2nd in 2007 and 2008 respectively, officially confirming him as the best player in European football.
"Any of my team-mates could have won it because everyone in this locker room deserved it," he told a press conference.
Messi said that he was glad to win the award but said that he is more interested in claiming "collective titles rather than individual awards" but also remarked that he was happy to be the first Argentinian and the first player from Barcelona's youth system to claim the prize.
The Argentine forward also praised coach Pep Guardiola as a key influence in his career.
"I've always said he [Guardiola] is a very important person, not just for me but for the whole group, there is a relationship beyond the normal coach-player relationship," he stated.
Paul Madden, Goal.com
Who is the Very Best? Just the coolest world music group right now. They talk about their love of football--Henrik Larsson!--in the DEC/JAN issue of Goal.com Magazine.
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