Lionel Messi is currently ranked as the second best player in Barcelona this season in a survey carried out by the Spanish publication Marca.
The Barça icon hit the club’s squad after their loss at Osasuna on Thursday.
Messi cited the Champions League losses to Rome in 2018 and Liverpool in 2019 as examples of the lack of character within the group, adding that they were “weak” and “lacked intensity”.
But according to the Marca poll, which ranks the club’s 22 first-team players and is open to any vote, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has overtaken Messi this season.
Young men Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati rank high in the poll, while French trio Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Samuel Umtiti rank three out of the bottom five.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Messi was clearly angry after Osasuna’s defeat, and told reporters: “A while ago I said that if we continue like this, it will be very difficult for us to win the Champions League.”
“We couldn’t even win the League. If we don’t react, we won’t beat Napoli (in the last 16 next month).”
“I am sure the fans are running out of patience because, playing as we have, and after the defeats of Rome and Liverpool, we are not giving them anything.”
(Image: SIPA USA / PA Images)
“We weren’t expecting this. We didn’t want to end La Liga by playing like this, but somehow it reflects how everything has gone this year.”
“We were weak and we lost our form. They beat us because we lacked intensity and we conceded an easy goal. We lost a lot of points this season when we shouldn’t have done it.”
“Real Madrid did their job. They haven’t lost since the break and we give them credit for that, but we helped them a lot to win this season. We have to be critical of ourselves, starting with the players, but in general club.”
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