Stepping onto the field with Lionel Messi is a dream shared by millions. For those fortunate enough to have shared the pitch with the Argentine superstar, the experience comes with a unique twist. In a surprising revelation from one of his former FC Barcelona teammates, players had to be careful while playing with La Pulga during training. 

Having a player like Messi is already a significant advantage, but not being able to field him due to injury is undoubtedly a different kind of nightmare for the team. Yet Barcelona were always cautious when it came to their legendary player.

Touching Lionel Messi was banned in Barcelona training 

When a team boasts a standout player like Lionel Messi, the primary focus naturally shifts to the player’s health and fitness, leaving no room for chances. This approach was ingrained in FC Barcelona, a revelation underscored by their former defender, Jean-Clair Todibo. In an interview with the Ligue 1 show, the Frenchman reminisced about an interesting anecdote from his tenure with the Catalan team.

As per Cartonsport and translated by DeepL, he said, “At Barcelona, they didn’t allow us to touch Messi in training. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. We had to be careful,” described the youngster. “It’s normal, it’s for the best, you don’t want to hurt him,” he added. Notably, the center-back joined the La Liga squad at an early age. Sadly, his two-year stint in Spain wasn’t fruitful, featuring in just five matches. 

Subsequently, he pursued loan spells at Schalke and Benfica before eventually finding his way to Nice. Since his arrival, Nice has only conceded four goals in Ligue 1 and maintained a clean sheet for over two months. Nevertheless, it was quite an interesting revelation from the 23-year-old. 

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Barcelona not the only club to stay careful with La Pulga

Interestingly, after leaving Barcelona, the ‘go easy on Messi’ rule continues at his current club, Inter Miami. This was revealed by the 19-year-old Herons star, Edison Azcona. While speaking to Infobae, he said, “Everyone understands that we are not going to try to hurt Messi. One tries to defend, but they are a little more careful.” 

Azcona added that Messi isn’t allowed to play in regular training matches, and even if defending against him, players are never hard on the eighth-time Ballon d’Or winner. Certainly, let us know your thoughts on this. 

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