Ter Stegen Reveals the Behind-the-Scenes of His Relationship with Messi

The German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen of FC Barcelona has revealed the behind-the-scenes of his relationship with former Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Ter Stegen said: "Messi is the only player who can intentionally hit you in the face with the ball if he wants to. Others might miss, but he has the precision to shoot the ball exactly where he wants it."

He added: "He has actually done it more than once, especially when he was angry – but without malice or bad intentions. I think he was going through moments of anger towards me."

He continued: "Playing against Messi is a completely different experience; he possesses a unique set of skills, especially when it comes to finishing attacks inside the penalty area. He is truly a strong player."

He concluded: "I think I faced him only once or twice. In one match, I saved a penalty he took, but he came back and scored a goal later, ending our encounter in a 1-1 draw."

He added: "My relationship with Messi was not perfect... there was a kind of tension between us; he was annoyed with me, and I was also annoyed with him. Messi is different… he draws his motivation from things we might not pay any attention to."

He finished: "There was a disagreement on points that Messi and I did not agree on. Leo is an impressive personality on the field and in the locker room; everyone listens to him, and that's what you should see in a leader. He plays with a lightness we won't see again on the field, making you look really bad with a pass or a shot, and easily makes you think afterward, 'this is impossible.' I'm happy that I was with him on the team.