Former Barcelona defender Dmitro Chygrynskiy has looked back on his time at Camp Nou and discussed the status of Lionel Messi.
The Ukraine international also offered his thoughts on Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola.
Chygrynskiy made 14 appearances in his season in Catalonia, moving from and later returning to Shakhtar Donetsk.
“Compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who needed to feel like a leader at all times, Messi didn’t care,” Chygrynskiy told Press in Ukraine, AS report.
“It wasn’t necessary. I remember in the locker room, Leo always had a box of cards, gifts, sweets…once we ate together and he told me he had gone years without paying for anything out of his pocket because he was always invited to places.”
On Iniesta and Xavi, Chygrynskiy revealed he was in awe of their ability with the ball and the mental aspect of their game.
“They can get the ball in any way, they will take it and control it like it’s the easiest thing in the world,” he said.
“It’s pure technique. Xavi is like a footballer’s manual and his decisions are always perfect.”
Chygrynskiy concluded by suggesting that he doesn’t have an emotional attachment to Guardiola or La Blaugrana, since he never played enough to form one.
“I think if I played more often I’d be very sentimental,” he said.
“Pep as a Coach is very sentimental. Sometimes he even broke into tears.”
