Lionel Messi was left stunned by the comments of an Arsenal player following Barcelona’s Champions League victory over the Gunners on this day in 2010 – when the Argentine legend netted all four goals in a 4-1 win, securing a 6-3 aggregate triumph.
Messi revealed that after the match, one of the Gunners’ stars approached him and expressed it was an “honour” to share the pitch with him, praising the respectful attitude of English teams towards European games. However, he did not disclose the identity of the player.
Speaking to The Mirror [via The Express], Messi said: “One of the Arsenal players came up to me afterwards and said it had been an honour to be on the same pitch as me.
I thought, ‘My God, that is a great thing to say when your team has just lost’. I will always remember that. English clubs are physical and tough, and they play strong for the whole game. But afterwards they shake hands and they are fair.
At the time, Messi was on a mission to secure his third Champions League title, having scored a goal in the previous year’s final against Manchester United.
Barcelona’s resilience was on full display when they overcame their 2009-10 Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter Milan by triumphing over Manchester United at Wembley the following season.
Reflecting on Messi’s extraordinary talent, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once lauded him as a “PlayStation” player, particularly after Messi’s stunning four-goal haul against the Gunners. Wenger foresaw an incredible future for the Argentine maestro, a prophecy that has certainly been fulfilled.
Wenger remarked: “He’s like a PlayStation. I think he can take advantage of every mistake you make. Barcelona are a very good side but of course they have Messi who can make the difference at any moment in the game.
“He is very young but he can achieve a lot. There are not many players who can score four goals like he did. He has six or seven great years ahead of him and he can become unbelievable. Touch wood nothing happens to him.”
