"Made me dizzy. His quality is unmatched" - Former Bayern star on playing against Lionel Messi during his Barcelona stint
Former Bayern Munich full-back Christian Lell has spoken about playing against Lionel Messi during the legendary Argentine playmaker's stint at Barcelona. After leaving Munich, he spent two years in La Liga, playing for Levante, where he got to take on the World Cup winner.
However, before he left the Bavarians, he faced Barca in the Champions League, admitting that it was a task to defend against Messi. The former full-back explained in an interview with Sport1 (via Mundo Deportivo):
"In that match against Barcelona, I tried to defend Messi as strictly as possible, but it made me dizzy. His quality is unmatched, he is difficult to stop."
The two players faced off three times, and each game was memorable for Christian Lell. The first two clashes were the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in the 2008-09 season, where Barca faced off with Bayern.
The German outfit lost 4-0 in the first leg, before a 1-1 draw in the second leg. While Lell was at Levante, they faced off once more, with Messi's side beating them 4-0.
Lionel Messi spent 17 years of his career at the Camp Nou, where he scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in an impressive 778 appearances. He left the Catalan giants in 2021, moving to Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two seasons. He now plays at Inter Miami with his former Barca teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez.
Lionel Messi reveals how he intended to return to Barcelona in 2023
Lionel Messi has opened up about how he had plans to return to Barcelona back in 2023, when he decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain. He had left the Blaugrana in 2021 after they were unable to renew his contract due to their financial difficulties.
However, a return could not work, either, as the Blaugrana still remain mired in money problems. Messi admitted that he wanted a move back to Catalonia, but it was not to be, as he explained to Simplemente Futbol (via Daily Post):
“I had the intention of returning to Barcelona and being able to go back to a place I always wanted to be, but it wasn’t possible again. After that, it (deciding on a new club) became a family decision. The fact that we won the World Cup also had a big impact.
“I was clear that I didn’t want to be at another team in Europe, I didn’t want to go to any of them."
Lionel Messi has since enjoyed a remarkable run of form at Inter Miami, as he opted to leave Europe entirely in 2023. He led them to win the Leagues Cup, mere weeks after he joined, while they also clinched the Supporters' Shield in 2024.
