The Argentine legend is of the view that the FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee, alongside his Barcelona teammates, would not have enjoyed the success they enjoy now.
Messi is considered by many as the the best player to have graced the footballing world; however, the 67-year old Argentine, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hugo-c16384 Gatti, begs to differ.
Gatti shed his views on the stardom of his compatriot, reflecting that Messi would have struggled for first team action had he been born a couple of decades earlier.
The former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Diego-Maradona-c11160.
"The best player ever is without any doubt http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Pele-c40189. After that you have Alfredo [Di Stefano], [Johan] Cruyff, and Diego [Maradona]," Gatti said in an interview with Radio La Red.
"In those times, Messi would have been a substitute rather than a star.”
Gatti did not stop his scathing criticism of Messi and continued to state that his teammates are ordinary professional footballers as well. He stated that the all-conquering members of the Barcelona squad would have trouble gracing the pitch regularly, a
couple of decades ago.
"All of these http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604 players who say they play for the best team in the world would have been bench-warmers in the times of Maradona and Cruyff."
Contrary to Gatti’s views, La Blaugrana have proven their quality on every footballing stage. The Catalan club are the reigning European and Spanish champions and just recently added FIFA Club World Cup triumph to their ranks in December 2011.
With seven members of the first team squad being starters for the Spanish national team, the pedigree of their talent has been accepted on the international scene as well.
La Roja have been ranked as the best team in the world by FIFA for the fourth successive year.
With the likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Villa-c10629, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta on the roster, the Spanish national team won back-to-back international trophies in the shape of Euro 2008 and the FIFA World Cup 2010.
With Euro 2012 just around the corner, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ukraine-c3032.
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