“He has football in his little finger” – Croatian footballer compares ex-teammate to Lionel Messi
Croatian footballer Marko Dira recently compared his former teammate Bruno Petkovic to Argentina superstar Lionel Messi.
Dira, 23, currently plies his trade for Hrvatska nogometna liga (HNL) side HNK Sibenik. He hailed Petkovic, who plays for Dinamo Zagreb, in high standards.
Speaking to Vecernji List, Dira said:
“I didn't play with Livaj. I played with with Bruno, I don't know how to describe him, he is Messi. He has football in his little finger, it was a pleasure to play with him.”
Petkovic has made 29 appearances for the Croatian national team during his career. He played 40 minutes in the FIFA World Cup semi-final for Vatreni as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Argentina. Lionel Messi scored a goal and provided a spectacular assist during the match.
Lionel Messi's entourage recently released a strong message
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi's entourage recently released a strongly-worded statement about reports linking the superstar forward with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is currently in the final months of his contract and hasn't yet signed an extension to his deal. There have been widespread reports that Messi is seeking an exit from the Parisian club.
Lionel Messi's camp has released a statement falsifying the reports. It says (via Get French Football News):
"It’s strange to see news about the club wanting to lower Leo’s salary, or not wanting to extend his contract circulate. We don’t want to play this little game. This kind of fake news doesn’t do Leo, nor his relationship with the club, any good. But perhaps that’s exactly what some people want."
The statement continued:
"We won’t make a public statement, but not only is it clear that Leo and the club are negotiating, but the club want Leo to stay, as the manager (Christophe Galtier) recently said. It is therefore strange to see someone divulge something else to the press. What interest do they have in lying? It would be good to ask those that are doing it."
Messi has recently received jeers from PSG supporters twice. The first incident took place during the clash against Rennes on March 19. The latest took place before the Parisians' clash against Lyon.
PSG fans booing Lionel Messi has further added fuel to the fire that the Argentine ace might be on his way out of the French club.