Barcelona players are like cones to Messi - Umtiti

Samuel Umtiti has admitted that Lionel Messi treats his team-mates like "nothing more than cones" in Barcelona training.

The 23-year-old moved to Camp Nou from Lyon in June, and says that one of the things that most impressed him at his new club was the supreme skill Messi has at all times.

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"He has so much ease on the ball," Umtiti told France Football. 

"His talent is innate although he works a lot. In training he does things that are out of the norm.

"Sometimes he dribbles past everyone as if we were nothing more than cones, including me."

However, Umtiti said he was less than impressed with Barcelona's approach under Pep Guardiola from 2008-2012, claiming that their tiki-taka style left him uninspired.

Since Guardiola left for Bayern Munich, Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino took charge of the club, with Luis Enrique appointed in May 2014.

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Umtiti feels the attacking style under the current boss is much more exciting than it was under the new Manchester City manager.

"It was less passionate," the defender claimed. 

"I said to my friends, 'I adore Barca but when they keep possession for 10 years it's boring'. Later their play changed again."