Even in his first training sessions at the FC Barcelona, the young Lionel Messi showed. Juliano Belletti recalls.
When young, highly talented players go their first steps in the professional adhesive and complete the first training sessions with the top stars of the club, that’s not always easy for the Arrivated. The risk of being embarrassed by the newcomers plays with, especially when it is not normal talents, but for century talents.
Without a doubt, Lionel Messi was exactly such a century talent. The FC Barcelona had already recognized early and carefully cared for the young Argentine. And in 2004 it was time, Messi undertook his first attempts with the professionals. In the summer of 2004, Juliano Belletti was also changed to the Catalans, he had previously played at the FC Villarreal and was in the flowering of his work with his 28 years. And little surprisingly, Belletti hit Barca training on the young Messi – an encounter he should never forget.
“When I trained with Messi for the first time, I’ve never heard of him,” says Belletti in conversation with Belletti and Goal. “Iniesta came to me and asked me if I knew who is Messi. Iniesta warned me that I had to be careful, because Messi was really good,” said the Brazilian. A warning that he seemed obviously attacked. “He said to me ‘be careful’ in the best phase of my career. I was in my bloom! But when he got the ball in training, it did not take care of whom he has played. And then it was supposed to catch me “Belletti recalls.
He, the arrivated right-back, for which Barca had just a little sum on the table, was completely overwhelmed with the 17-year-old Messi. “When I thought about one thing about it, as I guided the duel best, he had already beaten me. It was so simple. I tried to kick him, but it did not work. I just got him Not caught, “he describes. The situation was “definitely not normal” that an academic player was “so good”.
Belletti remained for three years at the FC Barcelona and wore itself on May 17, 2006 forever in the club’s history books. In the Champions League final against FC Arsenal he achieved the winner as a joker in the final phase. Therefore, he is still emotionally connected with the club today, despite the rather low time while he wore the blue-grana jersey.
Belletti convinces: Xavi and Laporta the right for Barca
And so today’s 45-year-old has also pursued developments within the club in recent months with great interest. Of course, the loss of Messi is not easy, stresses Belletti. “We know how important messi was for the club,” he says, “He is a player who has always reached a new level for 14 years and has improved things. It is almost impossible to reach that.”
The club now but now, “look forward, with Xavi, with President Joan Laporta and the young players. Xavi has shown the world as a player that he is different. And I think that will succeed as a coach. He is the Man who takes the club at that moment. I think Xavi and Laporta are currently the two right people, “Belletti is convinced.
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He hopes to be able to return to Europe as a coach. Most recently, he worked in his homeland at Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte as a wizard – and might thought every now and then back to this day in 2004.
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