Jose Mourinho has joined the rest of the world in fawning over the talents of Leo Messi after the Argentine superstar's exploding star-like performance for Barcelona against Bayern Munich during the week. Mourinho believes that any top four team in England would have a chance of winning the Champions League title with the Barcelona attacker:
"When people analyse teams, you have to remember that this boy makes everything different. He makes everything different.
"I think this guy makes the gap by himself. You have doubts that [Manchester] City with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Arsenal with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Chelsea with Messi can win the Champions League? Or Man United with Messi can win the Champions League? Don't you think? I think.
"I am saying that a team with that boy is a different team, is a different story"
Mourinho also poured scorn on the idea that coaches have been the principal reason that Barcelona have won three Champions League titles pointing to Messi's record:
"One thing is a team. Another thing is a team with Messi. It is a different story. He [made] a Champions League final with [Frank] Rijkaard. He played a Champions League with Guardiola. He [if it goes as expected] is playing a Champions League final with Luis Enrique."
Of course this conveniently ignores the fact that by his own super sonic standards Messi was a peripheral figure in Rijkaard's '06 side - not even featuring in the match-day squad for the final against Arsenal owing to injury. It also leaves out the face that Messi won two CL finals in three years under Guardiola and hasn't been back since - a fact that admittedly is about to be remedied soon.
Mourinho also went on to detail what it's like to plan as an opposition coach for Messi and said his aim was always to just try and make life difficult for him - something he achieved famously with Inter Milan in 2010.
Perhaps Mourinho meant no offence to the talents of Pep Guardiola but you can't help but feel he's enjoying any eroding of Pep's reputation as a superstar coach with every passing miraculous Messi performance.
Quotes: ESPN
Picture: SPORTSFILE/Youtube
