"I got ridiculed for saying this" - Michael Owen hits back at trolls after Lionel Messi's comments on Real Madrid
Former England striker Michael Owen has used Lionel Messi's opinion on the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool to defend his claim on who the better team is at the moment.
Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final on May 28. The Reds dominated the match but could not find a way past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian ended the game with nine saves, while Vinicius Junior came up with the all-important goal for Los Blancos. In the post-match discussion, Owen pointed out that he felt Liverpool were still the best team in Europe despite losing the final.
"I still think they're the best team in Europe, I really do," Owen had told BT Sport after the match.
"On other occasions, they'd be getting their name etched in the trophy."
The former Reds forward's claim was met with a lot of criticism, with some suggesting that he was downplaying Real Madrid's achievement on the big night.
Lionel Messi has now come forward with his claim of what he thinks of Madrid's Champions League victory this season. Football Tweet on Twitter posted Lionel Messi's opinion:
"The best team doesn't always win. Real Madrid weren't the best team in Europe this season, without taking any credit from them, even though they are the Champions League winners."
Owen reshared the tweet with the caption:
"And I got ridiculed for saying this. Enough said."
And I got ridiculed for saying this.
Enough said🤫 twitter.com/football__twee…
Is Lionel Messi right to think Real Madrid are not the best team in Europe?
The opinion of a legendary player like Messi should always be considered. However, what must also be taken into account is the delicate connotation of the message he sent.
Messi, on no occasion, talks about Real Madrid being unworthy winners. He simply points to the fact that over the course of 90 minutes on the pitch, statistics displayed that Madrid were outplayed on the football pitch. This is also a parameter in seeing who the better team were.
Madrid's winning mentality persevered in the end. They won the match not because they were technically better or more fluent, but because they possess the know-how to beat teams in knockout games without having to outplay their opponents.
🎙 Lionel Messi: “The best team doesn't always win. Real Madrid weren't the best team in Europe this season, without taking any credit from them, even though they are the Champions League winners.”
#UCL | #UCLfinal https://t.co/oAF4z2bcBF
Messi's opinion should be taken for its exact word value instead of people using it to justify other claims like Liverpool were unlucky not to win or that the Reds are the best team on the continent.
Lionel Messi, in his comments, did not for once mention that Liverpool are the best team in Europe. Owen might just have jumped on the bandwagon here to ratify his own opinion.