"They kicked him s**t and he would get up" - Hernan Crespo recalls how PSG star Lionel Messi earned Argentine teammates' respect in training
Former Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo has shared an anecdote of how Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi earned his La Albiceleste teammates' respect during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Crespo played nine games with Messi for Argentina before retiring from international football in 2007. He was fortunate to witness the left-footed maestro's early days with La Albiceleste.
In a recent interview with Spanish outlet Relevo, the former striker recalled what it was like to train with the current PSG superstar. Crespo said that defenders often went hard on Messi due to his small stature:
"He (Lionel Messi) was handsome, handsome from the start. They kicked him s**t, and he would get up; he would give it back to you."
Crespo, though, was impressed by how Messi did not shy away from standing up to people who tried to take him down. Driving his point home, the former Chelsea striker recalled an incident from Argentina's 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign.
"We were having a game with (Fabricio) Coloccini, (Nicolas) Burdisso, (Lionel) Scaloni, (Leandro) Cufre, the defenders who didn't play," Crespo said. "Messi took them all to spite, but of course, they were playing a World Cup. They said, 'This 18-year-old a*****e is alright', but they beat him."
Crespo went on to say that the PSG talisman refused to stay down and eventually earned the Argentinian defenders' respect.
"The more they hit him, the more he got up and the more he faced you. Until one moment we all saw, not from the silence but from the football irreverence of giving it back, he earned everyone's respect," Crespo added. "From there, (Lionel Messi was) drinking mates with the defenders, and they said, 'That's it, this kid doesn't get hit anymore. It's like that.'"
Messi made three appearances for Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, bagging a goal and an assist
Hernan Crespo recalls playing against PSG superstar Lionel Messi
Hernan Crespo also had the opportunity to play against Lionel Messi. Speaking to Relevo, he recalled the day the forward helped Barcelona beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League in 2006:
"(It was evident that Lionel Messi was different) from the first training. I was with Lionel during the 2006 World Cup and the 2007 Copa America, and he had just broken out in the 2005 U-20 World Cup. I also faced him when I was at Chelsea; he tore us apart."
He continued:
"There I already saw him at a very high level; he was already different. Yes, the finishing was missing. I have Messi's yellow '30' jersey; we exchanged it after that game."
Crespo is the manager of Qatari club Al-Duhail, while his former Argentina teammate has been with PSG since 2021.