"He is a competitive animal" - Pochettinho says Lionel Messi is determined to win the Champions League with PSG
Winning the Champions League has been the aim of PSG and Lionel Messi for a few years. Now that Messi is at PSG, the Argentine could help the French club win their first UEFA Champions League trophy this season.
Paris Saint Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino recently spoke about Lionel Messi in an interview with Cadena SER, where he revealed how determined the 34-year-old is to win the Champions League with PSG this season.
Ahead of the tie, which is scheduled for Tuesday, PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that Messi is a competitive animal and is determined to win the Champions League for his team. The PSG manager said:
"Everyone knows Leo Messi. He has been in Spain for 20 years, at Barça. Competition is in his genes, what he loves the most is competition. He is a competitive animal. I have no doubt that he wants to win and he wants to win. He carries it in his genes. It's his DNA."
For the past few years, Paris Saint-Germain has been dreaming of winning the UEFA Champions League. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has invested a huge amount of money into the team.
The likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Marquinhos were all tempted offers from Paris Saint-Germain and ended up joining the French club in the past few years. However, even after assembling a star-studded team, the Parisians haven't been able to win the Champions League yet.
Mauricio Pochettino to @ellarguero: “Messi is at his best, he arrives at the crucial part of the season very well. He is extraordinary, A genius like this comes out every 100 years. Competitiveness is in his genes, he always wants to win, even in training.
🗣🇦🇷 Mauricio Pochettino to @ellarguero: “Messi is at his best, he arrives at the crucial part of the season very well. He is extraordinary, A genius like this comes out every 100 years. Competitiveness is in his genes, he always wants to win, even in training. https://t.co/4dTY6yALp0
Lionel Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain during the last summer transfer window when his childhood club wasn't able to meet his wage demands due to an economic crisis. As a result, Messi moved to France and signed a three-year deal with the French club.
However, since leaving Barcelona, Messi hasn't been able to recreate his magic. The 34-year-old also has also dealt with injuries and contracting the COVID-19 virus, which certainly hasn't helped his form. Now that Messi is slowly making progress, many expect him to deliver against Real Madrid in the round of 16.
Can PSG star Lionel Messi help his club win the Champions League this season?
PSG are far from being called favorites to win the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League. The squad at Pochettino's disposal lacks balance and stability.
This could all change if their superstars turn up for their big tie against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16. Every football fan knows that an in-form Lionel Messi can single-handedly change the course of the game. Les Parisiens will be hoping for that version of Messi to turn up against his old rivals.
PSG fans got a glimpse of Messi's magic when their club defeated Lille in a recent tie. Messi provided six key passes, an assist and also scored a goal in that game, helping the French club win 5-1.
Against Lille, Lionel Messi provided SIX key-passes, which is the highest for a PSG player in Ligue 1 this season 🤯 https://t.co/Qo2EkYACSS
However, Messi hasn't delivered phenomenal performances on a regular basis, which is something he did at Barca with ease. On February 15, all the questions regarding Messi's form and Paris Saint-Germain's chances at winning the European cup will be answered when they face Real Madrid.