“They couldn’t have done it without the support” - Ivan Rakitic makes bold claim on playing with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez at Barcelona
Barcelona hero Ivan Rakitic has made a bold claim about playing with the superstar trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez at the club.
Rakitic moved to Barcelona from Sevilla for €18 million in the summer of 2014 and quickly became vital and indispensable in Barca's midfield. Alongside Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, he formed a formidable midfield trio that helped the Catalans add a plethora of trophies to their glittering cabinet.
He made 310 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 42 assists. During his spell at Barca, he helped them win four La Liga titles, four Copas del Rey, a UEFA Champions League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup title.
Rakitic was recently inducted into Barcelona's 'Legends' list, recognizing his incredible contributions during his six-year tenure at the club.
On the ARLS podcast, the Croatian midfielder delved into his time in Blaugrana colors, opening up about several topics related to the club.
He said it was an unbelievable experience to share the pitch with the formidable trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, fondly nicknamed 'MSN'.
However, he asserted that Barca's success was facilitated by their stability and support in the defense as well as midfield.
“Of course, I can say that I enjoyed playing with Messi, Neymar and Suarez. Hopefully, they say that they enjoyed playing with Rakitic too... They scored 100 goals per season, but they couldn’t have done it without the support at the back," he said.
Ivan Rakitic's link-up with Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi at Barcelona — a statistical overview
Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic was one of the most versatile midfielders in the world during his time at Barcelona.
He was deployed across the park, from a No. 10 to a deep-lying anchor. He also had some fantastic moments at the club, including a fourth-minute opener in the 2015 Champions League final victory and an iconic left-footed strike against Real Madrid in 2017.
He linked up impeccably with the super-trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar. The former two, to this date, are the two players who he has shared the field the most with.
He played in 277 matches for Barca alongside Messi, assisting him 19 times, with the Argentine returning the favor on eight occasions.
With Suarez, he featured in 256 games for the Blaugrana. He assisted the Uruguayan marksman five times, and scored six goals off assists from the legendary striker.
Finally, with Neymar, Rakitic played in 130 matches for the club, with the Brazilian assisting him thrice and him repaying the favor just once (all stats via Transfermarkt).