Former Barcelona star reveals his objection to Lionel Messi’s captaincy

Lionel Messi captained Barcelona for three season from 2018 to 2021 winning the La Liga title in 2019.

The Argentinian replaced Andres Iniesta as club skipper, as part of a period of transition at the club, before eventually leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Messi’s incredible overall Barcelona career was not matched by his trophy haul as captain which featured some infamous UEFA Champions League defeats.

His legacy at Barcelona is unquestioned but former teammate Ivan Rakitic has raised doubts over aspects of his captaincy.

The pair won four league titles together, under three different captains, including Messi, Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, before Rakitic returned to Sevilla in 2020.

The former Croatian international is now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia and he hinted that Messi’s communication was at times an issue.

“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!” as per quotes carried by Diario AS.

“Although he was sometimes not the best captain to tell you what you had to do, that was because he was unique and different.”

Messi was immediately installed as Inter Miami captain, after joining in July 2023, with the 36-year-old leading them to a first ever trophy in the Leagues Cup last summer.