Puyol: “It is difficult for a Real Madrid fan to recognize that Messi is the best”

Former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol spoke with Goal about his thoughts on his former teammate Lionel Messi surpassing Pele’s goal record. He took the opportunity to say that Real Madrid fans struggle giving Messi the nod for greatest footballer of all time.

“If you ask me who Michael Jordan is, I will say that he is the best basketball player in history.”

“I think Messi will have the same status, the best footballer of all time. It is also talked about whether Michael Jordan is the best in history, and these are opinions, and sometimes it is difficult to be objective. It is difficult for a Real Madrid fan to recognize that Messi is the best.”

“We have been lucky to have him but I really say, taking away the feeling of being a Cule, that the numbers are there, these have not been invented and they show that he is the best.”

Kroos: Once [I had] a problem with Flick

Toni Kroos spoke on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen (via Pressfrom UK) about his relationship with Bayern manager Hansi Flick. Flick was an assistant coach for Germany at the 2014 World Cup, which Kroos was a part of.

“I only had a problem with him for the national team once. That was when he was with me the 2014 World Cup woke me up several times and sent it to breakfast because I liked to leave it out. I didn’t find that funny either, but in this case I shut my eyes.”

It seems this was a more lighthearted ‘problem’ that Kroos had with Flick at the World Cup. Kroos went on to talk about his respect for Flick and how he deserved recognition as one of the best coaches throughout 2020.

“Hansi is a wonderful person who doesn’t like being the center of attention. In my opinion, he simply deserves it, the way it is going.”