Hernan Crespo: “It’s very difficult to be Lionel Messi”

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Hernan Crespo has come out and supported his former team mate Lionel Messi.

One of the best strikers of his generation, Crespo took part in two tournaments with Argentina alongside Messi. The first was at the 2006 World Cup where Messi even assisted Crespo for the fourth goal against Serbia and Montenegro. The second was the 2007 Copa America where the team made the final.

Crespo has come out and decended Messi, who has yet to win a senior international trophy. Speaking with Ole, here’s what he had to say:

“It is very difficult to be Messi, nobody can put himself in his place as nobody could, at the time, put himself in Maradona’s place. It is impossible to know what they think and what they live.

“It makes me happy to see him play in the national team, I would love, as an Argentine also, to see him become world champion. Leo is a guy who has been at a very high level for many years, receives kicks, gets up and carries on, always working.

“Actually, if you think about it, somehow it is soccer that owes Messi. But that is not going to take away greatness. We are Argentines and we want him to be world champion, I want him it all my heart, but he goes beyond a title and he will not stop being immense.”

20 Comments

  1. If there is any significant offer Musso should go to Chelsea there he can be a starter as Kepa is struggling with form and Caballero is second goalkeeper.As premiere league best place to test a goalkeeper as there are many top tems Liverpool to Arsenal so Musso should go to Chelsea..

    • Musso and Benitez to Chelsea and Inter is what I hope to see. I don’t mind which GK goes to which team.

      Andrada/Musso/Benitez should be the goalkeepers of Argentina NT. Who becomes the #1 starter should be determined by club performance of 20/21 season and in WC qualifiers.

      • Rulli performing better than benitez in farmer league this season, don’t go by one season wonder stats in farmer league. Armani cost world cup 2018 for this.

        • Dude, do you even realize that you contradict yourself when you claim “stats are misleading in farmer league” “nothing matters in farmer league” “farmer league bad bad bad bad” and then you take Rulli, who plays in said league, and compare his performance to Benitez in the same league..???

          First of all, no matter how shit you think the French league is compared to other European leagues – Ligue 1 is in the Top 5 Leagues in Europe.

          But let’s compare Rulli’s performance in Ligue 1 to Benitez’ last year stats:

          Benitez
          35 games – 3 150 minutes
          29 goals conceded – 0.828 per game average
          16 clean sheets – 45,7%
          (Statistically best shot stopper in Europe, stopping 110 of 136 shots on goal = 81%)

          Rulli
          25 games – 2 250 minutes
          27 goals conceded – 1.08 per game average
          8 clean sheets – 32%

          In addition, Benitez is ranked #5 in Europe THIS SEASON by OPTA’s metric for Goals Prevented against Expected Goals on Target. This metric takes into consideration the quality of the chance as well as the quality of the shot (eg shot in top corner vs straight at goalkeeper), which makes the “FaRMuR LeeAgUEe ShHitT sTriKeRs” argument less valid as it better highlights the quality of the goalkeeper’s ability to prevent all sort of goals
          (read https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/the-keepers-to-have-stopped-the-most-expected-goals-henderson-dubravka/ )

          This means that even if he is statistically having an off-season right now compared to last season (and with a defense clearly much worse than the last one), he is still an awesome and highly underrated goalkeeper and will really prove this in a new league next season! I think his confidence, attitude, and determination for Argentina and the national team makes him stand out and I have a gut feeling that he could become an Argentine legend in Albiceleste colors.

          However, as I said before, the NT goalkeepers will determine themselves by their club performance next season and in WC qualifiers. Luckily, there is interest in Musso, Benitez will be a free agent and Rulli is going back to La Liga.

          • I am not praising Rulli, I was supporter of Rulli once but when he moved to farmer league I don’t even discuss for him on mundo. Rulli is Leauge 1 team of the season so far in rating according to whoscored where rulli struggled and making error continuously last season in la liga clears everything regarding Farmer league. That’s the principle reason despite golden season last year, benitez never called up.

  2. In addition to Martinez, Aguero and Dybala, there are outsiders like Icardi and Alario. And there is 1 player I like very much: Gaich. He can offer something different. He can play as pivot, strong physically, good control and create space for his partners. Most importantly he can score. If I were Scaloni, I would pick up 2 players from Aguero, Martinez and Dybala. And then I will take Gaich for sure and Alario or Icardi. So in total 4 strikers.

    • So pick a guy who never ever played against class opponents instead of Dybala? Cmon…maybe he is another Lucas Pratto (big flop in Serie A, but useful in Argentina) different levels….first Gaich has to play in a strong european championship against better to elite defenders and score a lot of goals…

    • Gaich is full of potential but lets see how he does in the olympics next year before calling him up to the senior team, especially when the no.9 is taken and taken and taken.

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