What’s the story?
Lionel Messi has revealed that he has only asked one player in his entire career to swap shirts at the end of the game. The player is none other that current Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane!
Messi said: “I am not one to ask to swap shirts. I asked, once… I asked Zidane. Guti came and asked me. He asked me when we played here (Nou Camp) and when we played there (Santiago Bernabeu). In both matches. I don’t ask for shirts. If there is an Argentine, I will swap with an Argentine. If not and there is someone else that asks me, I will swap it with them. If not, I do not look and do not ask.”
In case you didn’t know...
Messi scored in dying seconds of the El Clasico last Sunday to open the title race in La Liga once again. The Argentine's goal was his 500th for Barcelona, and he celebrated by showing his shirt to the Bernabeu faithful.
The Catalan side are out of the Champions League but still have a chance of winning silverware at the end of the season. They face Deportivo Alavés in the final of Copa Del Rey - which will also turn out to be the last game Luis Enrique will be in-charge of the club.
The heart of the matter
Messi has been one of the best players we have ever seen in the history of football, and it's obvious that he has been asked to swap shirts with some player or the other after every match. However, the Argentine has revealed that he never asks for one himself.
The only time he asked for one was with Zidane when he was set to retire in 2006. The Barcelona star revealed that that is the only occasion when he made an effort to swap shirts with an opponent. He has also gone on to say that Real Madrid legend, Guti was a big fan of him. The former Spanish international asked to swap shirts with him twice.
What’s next?
Barcelona have four matches left in the La Liga this season, and a win in all of them is a must for the Catalan side to have any chance of winning the title. They would also need help from one of Real Madrid's opponents as a loss to the Los Blancos is needed as well.
Author’s Take
It's a surprise that Messi doesn't ask for swapping shirts at the end of the match. He is one of the best, but there are several legends of the game whose shirts are being fought for!
