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Issue 1

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MESSI VS MODRIC<br />

IN THE EYES OF<br />

PUYOL<br />

“Real Madrid’s Luka Modric may be<br />

“great” and the latest recipient of FIFA’s<br />

The Best Award, but Lionel Messi is by far<br />

the finest player on Planet Earth”<br />

according to Barcelona legend Carles<br />

Puyol.<br />

Puyol is the retired ex-Barcelona’s<br />

one-club man, served as the long-time<br />

team captain for his only club Barcelona<br />

and went on to appear in 593 official<br />

games for the club and win 20 major<br />

titles, notably six La Liga trophies and<br />

three Champions League titles. He was a<br />

Spain international on 100 occasions.<br />

Also, Puyol happens to be a full-fledged<br />

fan of Lionel Messi. The Argentine<br />

superstar has won the Ballon d’Or on five<br />

instances throughout his extraordinary<br />

career, was unexpectedly left off the<br />

latest pick out list for a significant<br />

international prize. He was disregarded in<br />

favor of Modric, the everlasting nemesis<br />

Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool forward<br />

Mohamed Salah.<br />

Modric, who had recently qualified to<br />

Champions League grandeur with Real<br />

last season before contributing to<br />

Croatia’s ascend to the World Cup final,<br />

eventually grabbed the topmost prize,<br />

but Puyol declared that he strictly<br />

disagrees.<br />

The former Spanish sensation recently<br />

declared: “Congratulations for Modric.<br />

Leo can’t always win. Otherwise, we<br />

should create an award for him and<br />

another for the rest. It's weird Leo is not<br />

on the list. I don’t have any doubt that Leo<br />

is the best in the world. You never know<br />

what they analyze for these individual<br />

awards. We must respect it, but football<br />

people know absolutely who is the best.<br />

He [Modric] is a great player who had a<br />

very good season but for me the best is<br />

Messi.”<br />

Messi continues to be one of Barca’s<br />

most powerful spells this season,<br />

reaching his 700th appearance for the<br />

club in midweek, but he has been<br />

powerless to prevent them dropping five<br />

points in their last two clashes, to which<br />

Puyol answered in defense: “Barcelona<br />

are expected to win every week and if<br />

they lose once then you get criticized<br />

.They have to fight for all titles, but if you<br />

have to choose between the Champions<br />

League and Copa del Rey then you<br />

choose the Champions League. Above all<br />

though is La Liga, which is very<br />

important”<br />

Barca held national supremacy again last<br />

season, with Puyol taking a nifty taunt at<br />

Clasico rivals Real and their choice to<br />

prioritize European glory: “Barcelona<br />

have always fought for everything while<br />

Real Madrid focused on the Champions<br />

League, they played heads or tails but at<br />

Barcelona you cannot do that, we have<br />

another mentality.”<br />

47

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