Lionel Messi’s Leadership Skills Questioned By Barcelona Icon & Ex-Teammate- “Not the Best Captain”

The Barcelona squad of the late 2000s and the 2010s was one of the most feared teams in the world. And Lionel Messi’s presence in the team can be considered a major influence for such a reputation. The Argentine has very few flaws in terms of his gameplay and is also considered a supportive teammate. Nevertheless, in a sensational revelation, a former treble-winning teammate opened up about glitches in Leo’s captaincy.

Former FC Barcelona player Ivan Rakitic felt that the player’s unique personality did not make him a great leader. According to reports, Rakitic said, “Messi is the best in history, and if he put his mind to it, he could be the best left back in the world if he wanted to,” citing his control over the game. But he also stated, “Although he was sometimes not the best captain to tell you what you had to do, that was because he was unique and different,” revealing that we weren’t a gifted man manager.

However, captaincy is not something new for the Argentine. He first took the responsibility of captaining the Argentina national team in 2010 as a stand-in skipper but has been leading them regularly since 2011. And, leading them to multiple international finals including the 2014 World Cup final and the recent international three-peat of Copa America, Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup.

However, the story was different when he was away from his compatriots. The 8-time Ballon D’or took over the captaincy from Andres Iniesta in 2018 until he left in 2021. Managing to win just a single La Liga title, Messi’s time at Barcelona had to end due to the financial crisis the club was struggling with. However, being led by his introverted nature, the Inter Miami captain couldn’t express his expectations from the players. But things seemed to have changed at Miami.

Lionel Messi’s impact on other players opened up by his new teammate

Despite holding himself from sharing too many thoughts, Lionel Messi was recently credited for making his teammates look better. According to the newly-arrived Julian Gressel, the 36-year-old’s presence changes the vibes of the team. Gressel recently said, “You can get the feeling that when he’s on the field there’s a different energy about us and there’s a different feeling to the group.” He then said, “Leo’s a great teammate, he’s a great player. Every day in training he wows me still and it’s incredible to see and be so close to him daily,” testifying about his team spirit.

Overall, Messi’s teammates know how effective the 2022 World Cup winner is in terms of increasing the team’s quality. But with more control over the situations at Inter Miami, the Argentine has another chance to prove his leadership skills by taking Inter Miami to their first-ever MLS trophy.