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What Happened To The Two Barcelona Players Better At Free-Kicks Than Lionel Messi?

What Happened To The Two Barcelona Players Better At Free-Kicks Than Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi is considered to be one of football's greatest ever from free-kicks.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

A former Barcelona youth team player has claimed that there were two players in La Masia who could take a better free-kick than Lionel Messi.

Messi is deemed to be one of the greatest free-kick takers in football history, to the point it's dangerous to give him a sight of goal from them.

But former La Masia player Roger Giribet has stated there were two players in the Blaugrana's legendary academy who were better dead ball specialists than the Argentinian.

He told Goal: "Victor Vazquez, who was amazing, and the left-footed Juanjo Clausi used to take them. Messi almost never."

Image
PA

Vazquez is six months older than Messi and played a total of three games for the Barca first team.

He did manage to score a goal for the club against Rubin Kazan in the Champions League.

Vazquez in action for Barcelona. (Image
PA)

Manager at the time Pep Guardiola sold Vazquez to Club Brugge in 2011 and he last played for Eupen in Belgium, following stints in Mexico at Cruz Azul & Toronto FC in Canada.

It's not the heights that Messi has achieved but it's a respectable career with trophies in three different countries.

He also managed to score a few lovely free-kicks along the way himself including this low drive against Columbus Crew in 2017.

Vazquez remains close friends with Messi and even named his first-born son after the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Unlike Vazquez, Clausi didn't manage to stay at top-flight level.

The forward played for Barcelona's youth team up to U-19 level before being sold to Catarroja CF in 2006.

The attacker has spent his career in Spain's lower leagues and joined third tier side Paterna C.F.

Messi hasn't always been the king of free-kicks and Argentine legend Diego Maradona is often credited with helping the Barca captain out with them.

Maradona managed Messi as Argentina national coach between 2008 and 2010 but he reportedly grew frustrated with Messi's set-pieces.

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PA

Per Goal, Maradona's assistant Fernando Signorini explained: "I saw Diego coming, he took him by the shoulder and said: 'Little Leo, little Leo, come here, man. Let's try it again.'

"It was like a teacher with his pupil."

It's interesting to know that even Messi has had players rated higher than him at La Masia.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Football, Barcelona, Messi, Lionel Messi, La Liga