Lionel Messi says it is ‘spectacular’ to have former rival Sergio Ramos as a teammate.
Messi and Ramos were intense rivals for many years, playing for and then captaining Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
The pair were on either side of a number of scuffles in some of the best and most intense Clasicos in history, but that’s all behind them now.
Despite their legendary status at their respective former clubs, both players were left feeling let down over the summer.
Messi thought he had agreed a new contract with Barcelona only for president Joan Laporta to change his mind over La Liga’s CVC deal, allowing the Argentine superstar to leave for free.
Meanwhile, Ramos accepted a contract offer from Real Madrid only to be told he had left it too long, Los Blancos withdrawing the offer.
Another thing the pair have in common is that they were both quickly scooped up by Paris Saint-Germain, and they are now teammates.
Messi has spoken about the change of circumstances, admitting it was ‘weird’ at first, but he has more than been won over by Ramos.
“Sergio Ramos as a teammate is spectacular,” he told Marca via Diario AS.
“Now it’s nothing, but at the start it was weird after so many years of rivalry, being the two captains of Barca and Madrid, after so many Clasicos played, so many fights that we had on the pitch.
“But all that stayed inside and we have always had a lot of respect for them being such big rivals in these Clasicos. To have him today as a teammate is spectacular.”
