One of the most memorable stories about Messi at Barca is a little-known incident. It nearly shattered the then-powerful Barca squad, but also laid the foundation for their 2015 Champions League triumph - Barca's most recent European Cup.
On the morning of 2/1/2015, at the Joan Gamper training ground, Messi was fouled, but Enrique - then the team's coach - continued the session. The Argentine superstar became angry, and the ensuing argument between the two, which was not captured on camera, escalated. Several players and coaching staff had to intervene to defuse the situation. But Messi left the training session and went back to the locker room, ushering in a period of extreme tension behind the scenes at Barca.
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Enrique (left) and Messi during a training session at Barca. Photo: EFE |
Enrique (left) and Messi during a training session at Barca. Photo: EFE
More than 10 years after the incident, Enrique and Messi will reunite in Atlanta, USA today for the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 match between PSG and Inter Miami. Joining them are other players who witnessed the "clash" that nearly disrupted the delicate balance at Barca that year: Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, now playing for Inter Miami, and Javier Mascherano, the current coach of the American team.
Currently, there is only mutual praise and goodwill between the two. But 10 years ago, they engaged in a fierce power struggle for control of the Barca locker room before setting aside their differences to win the club's most prestigious cup to date.
The 2014-2015 season began with Messi feeling disgruntled. Then-club president Josep Bartomeu decided not to renew the contract of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto - Messi's close friend, fired logistics officer Txema Corbella, and excluded Pepe Costa - two of Messi's confidants - from team trips. Then Luis Enrique was appointed head coach, and in his first press conference, he declared, "Now I am the head of this team".
Messi carried this discontent with him during his Christmas break in Rosario, Argentina, and returned to training later than his teammates, before the tense incident at the training ground on 2/1/2015. Two days later, Enrique benched Messi for Barca's away game at Anoeta, where they lost 1-0 to Sociedad due to an own goal by Alba.
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Messi (second from right) on the Barca bench during the loss to Sociedad on 3/1/2015. Photo: EPA |
Messi (second from right) on the Barca bench during the loss to Sociedad on 3/1/2015. Photo: EPA
Enrique's decision further infuriated Messi. He skipped the next training session, and the situation worsened when Enrique asked the club to discipline the Argentine forward. Meanwhile, the two vice-captains, Iniesta and Busquets, tried to mediate, and captain Xavi personally visited Messi's home to persuade him.
The tension only eased when Enrique spoke directly to Messi, advising him to follow his instructions. And the Argentine superstar, after being persuaded by his close teammates, also humbled himself to continue contributing to the team.
That season, Barca played a more direct style of football than their traditional approach, with Neymar and Luis Suarez shining. And after Messi and Enrique put their conflict aside, the team went on a winning streak, concluding the season with a treble - La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League.
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Messi and Enrique celebrate after Barca's 3-1 win over Juventus in the 2015 Champions League final. Photo: imago |
Messi and Enrique celebrate after Barca's 3-1 win over Juventus in the 2015 Champions League final. Photo: imago
Nothing convinces Messi more than winning, although the forward holds grudges against those who have angered him. Rodolfo Borrell is one such case, being the only coach at La Masia who didn't rate Messi highly. "He used to say Leo was just a futsal player, holding the ball too much and dribbling excessively," recounted Cristian Hernandez, Messi's former teammate at La Masia.
In 2021, almost 20 years after his time at La Masia, when Barca faced Man City in the Champions League group stage, Messi met Borrell again - who was then Pep Guardiola's assistant. Upon seeing Borrell, Messi told those around him, "Everyone stop, the football genius has arrived".
With Enrique - who helped him win and achieve glory, Messi has a completely different perspective. He considers Enrique and Pep Guardiola the two best coaches he has ever worked with. "Working with them consecutively helped me improve tremendously in terms of technique and tactical thinking," Messi said in 2020.
Enrique also no longer harbors any resentment from the past conflict. In 2019, when asked about the incident, he said, "There were times of tension, which I had to deal with as the team's coach, but now, I can only say the best things about Messi".
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Enrique (left) gives instructions during a training session with Messi (right) at the Juan Gamper sports center in 2015. Photo: AFP |
Enrique (left) gives instructions during a training session with Messi (right) at the Juan Gamper sports center in 2015. Photo: AFP
Suarez, Messi's teammate during the historic 2014-2015 season, also praised his former coach upon learning that Inter Miami would face PSG. The Uruguayan striker said, "Along with the national team coach Oscar Tabarez, Enrique is one of the most important coaches in my career, because of what I learned".
Jordi Alba also expressed his admiration for Enrique: "For me, Enrique is number one. In addition to his coaching role, he is also very talented in managing the team".
Hoang Thong (according to El Pais)
