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What's the story?
Lionel Messi's list of admirers grows with each passing day, especially since his magisterial two-goal display saw Barcelona steamroll English heavyweights Liverpool 3-0 this week in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.
As per Fox Sports, Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has declared himself a fan of the Messiah, claiming that he voted for the Argentine talisman each time for the Ballon d'Or, during his stint as head coach of Croatia between 2013 and 2015
In case you didn't know...
Lionel Messi is currently tied with Cristiano Ronaldo with 5 Ballon d'Or's each, the two greatest footballers of our generation neck and neck when it comes to the pre-eminent individual title in the world of football. But going by this season's performances, the mercurial Argentine magician has left Ronaldo behind in his wake, amassing a stunning 48 goals and 16 assists in all competitions.
It is no surprise that the Barcelona captain is the overwhelming favorite for a record 6th Ballon d'Or given he is leading Barcelona to a historic treble of trebles and leading the roost in the European Golden Boot, La Liga and UEFA Champions League scoring charts.
The heart of the matter
Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac was all praises for Messi in the news conference ahead of the Bavarians Bundesliga clash against Hannover
"“There is only one Messi,” he remarked.
“No matter what I say, it’s too little. You have to shower him with superlatives. When it came to the Ballon d’Or choice, he always got my vote when I was the coach of the Croatian national team. There are many good players, but he is the best. A team is important, but he makes the difference.”
What's next?
Having wrapped up the La Liga title last weekend, Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona are likely to rest all key players in this weekend's away trip to Celta Vigo. The Blaugrana will then head to Anfield to face Liverpool in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal, with kickoff scheduled for Wednesday, 12:30 AM IST.
