"He always called him 'the dwarf'" - Filipe Luis reveals reason behind Diego Simeone's derogatory nickname for Lionel Messi
Former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis recently revealed the reason behind Diego Simeone's derogatory nickname for Lionel Messi.
During his spell in Spain, the former Brazil international faced the Argentine icon 24 times, managing to beat Messi just twice. The 2022 World Cup winner spent 17 years at Barcelona, notching up an incredible 672 goals for the Catalan outfit.
Tasked with the daunting job of stopping the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Luis opened up about Simeone's left-field methods when coming up against Messi. He recently told YouTube channel Charla Podcast (via Mirror):
"At Atleti, Simeone put four players on Messi! So when he scored, it was not one player’s fault, it was just Messi. Before the games against Barcelona, Simeone never used Messi’s name. He always called him ‘the dwarf’, so when we were in front of him, we would not be afraid of him."
The Argentine coach rarely stopped the left-footed genius despite his best efforts. Messi scored 32 goals and assisted nine from 43 outings across all competitions against Atletico Madrid.
Luckily, Simeone can breathe better, with Messi having exited Spain in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain. He now represents MLS outfit Inter Miami after deciding to join the club this summer from Ligue 1. With Barcelona, Messi won La Liga 10 times and the UEFA Champions League thrice, among other honors.
How has Lionel Messi fared at Inter Miami?
Lionel Messi took the decision to join MLS side Inter Miami this summer after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain ran out. The Argentina skipper has been instrumental to the Herons' success this season, helping the club to their first-ever trophy.
The 36-year-old attacker scored 10 goals in just seven appearances, which ensured the Miami-based side took home the Leagues Cup in August this year. Overall, he's made 14 appearances across all competitions for Inter Miami, scoring 11 goals and assisting five.
However, Messi was unable to ensure his side's MLS playoff qualification. Ultimately, the David Beckham-owned club finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, five places and nine points adrift of Charlotte FC, who occupied the final playoff berth.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are out of competitive action until late February, which is when the 2024 MLS season is expected to get underway.