Former Boca Juniors goalkeeper, Hugo Orlando Gatti has expressed his thoughts on Lionel Messi, igniting controversy among football lovers.
The Barcelona legend’s career was criticized by Gatti, who played for Argentina in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, especially when compared to other football greats.
According to Barca Universal, Gatti claims that the favorable circumstances in which Messi played made his tenure at Barcelona easier. The 37-year-old was a member of a very talented team, and the former shot-stopper emphasized that everything revolved around him.
He noted that Messi was able to flourish in a reasonably comfortable environment because he was rarely subjected to physical challenges or adversity on the field while playing for the Catalan giants.
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“I don’t dislike Messi, but he played an easy game. I saw him in a Barcelona where they whistled for everything, where nobody kicked him, where they had a great team that played for him,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Gatti continued by drawing a comparison between his compatriot and Ronaldo. He described Ronaldo as a superstar who succeeded in more difficult situations.
“Cristiano is a phenomenon and he’s better than Messi. He is better because he does not have the conditions of Messi, but he played in the best teams in the world.”
Although the former Argentina international conceded that Ronaldo might not have Messi’s innate skills. He emphasized that the Portuguese’s career saw him succeed in a number of elite clubs in various competitions.
“It’s braver to play there. Everyone plays there. They run at you, they kill you. Where did Messi play?”
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