Featured Image Credit: Apple TV
Topics: Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Chelsea, Champions League
Ryan Smart
Lionel Messi has admitted that his Barcelona team-mates hated one Premier League club more than fierce El Clasico rivals Real Madrid.
Messi won four Champions League titles with Les Cules, being named as player of the match in the 2011 final win over Manchester United.
He would regularly come up against Premier League opposition in Europe though would have mixed experiences of facing them.
One such contest left a bitter taste in his mouth all the way back in 2005 - only Messi's second year as a professional footballer.
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A 17-year-old Messi was not involved in the squad when Chelsea produced a memorable 4-2 victory over Frank Rijkaard's Barca at Stamford Bridge to progress through to the quarter-final stages of the Champions League.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho had been critical of referee Anders Frisk after Didier Drogba was sent off in the first leg, and there was plenty of added spice to the second leg as a result.
A year later, the two teams were drawn against each other again at the last 16 stage. And Messi decided to make his feelings known.
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He said: "There are players here who hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid. I never thought I would hear myself say that.
"I also never thought I would see something worse than the Boca and River Plate rivalry or Brazil vs Argentina. But this is.
"We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea."
The Argentinian would get his revenge on the Blues, producing a star performance at Stamford Bridge in leg two as Barca pulled off a famous 2-1 comeback win after going behind in the second half.
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Rijkaard's side would go all the way to the final, producing another late comeback to see off 10-man Arsenal.
Messi would ultimately miss the final in Paris due to a hamstring injury - ironically suffered during the win at Stamford Bridge after a horror tackle from Asier del Horno - and once revealed that a decision he made post-match is one of the few things he regrets from his career.
He told AS in 2021: "I'm sorry I didn't [go out, to celebrate with my team-mates].
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"Until my injury, I participated in every Champions League game in my career. I was disappointed.
"I deeply regret that episode. We won that Champions League and I was not sure what would happen again, because it is a difficult competition to win."
Thankfully for Messi, he would go on to win the Champions League again - just the three more times...