Otamendi: Proud of Messi, but…

Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi says he is proud of upcoming Barcelona opponent Lionel Messi as a fellow Argentine.

The pair are international teammates, having both represented the Albiceleste at the 2010 World Cup, yet while the 26-year-old is in awe of his compatriot’s achievements, he maintains that club loyalties will come to the fore on Sunday.

"As an Argentine, I'm proud of Messi. Barcelona are not only Leo, but a collective operation," he was quoted as saying by AS.

"Barca's style can be offset with defensive order and without losing the ball quickly when we recover it."

Otamendi then spoke highly of another Argentine in Enzo Perez and admitted he would love to see the Benfica midfielder join Los Che in January.

"We all know Enzo's qualities. He can bring technique and the control of the ball to a team," he added.

"He's a player who performs very well in attack, but he also does well defensively and is very complete.

"It's always good to have players like him as a teammate.

"He's very excited about potentially coming here, as we’ve shared moments together for Argentina, but neither of us can decide that.

"For us, it would be important for him to arrive here, but it's a matter of negotiation, so I can't say anything more."

Tags Argentina Lionel Messi Nicolas Otamendi
La Liga - Club News