"They weren’t the best team in this Champions League” – Lionel Messi makes bold claim about Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi has claimed that Real Madrid were not the best team in this season's UEFA Champions League despite winning the title.
Los Blancos locked horns with Premier League giants Liverpool in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday. They emerged victorious in the game, with Vinicius Jr's 59th-minute goal earning them a 1-0 win.
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The victory at the Stade de France saw Real Madrid enhance their status as the most successful club in the Champions League. The La Liga giants have now won the competition 14 times, seven more than AC Milan.
It is also worth noting that Carlo Ancelotti's side beat European heavyweights PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool on their way to glory. However, some, including Michael Owen, think Real Madrid were not the best team in the recently-concluded Champions League campaign.
It appears Messi is also of the view that Los Blancos' Champions League victory does not mean that they are the best team in Europe. However, the PSG superstar has given credit to the La Liga champions for still emerging victorious. He told Argentine television channel TyC Sports [via CBS]:
"The best team doesn't always win. Real Madrid, without taking anything away from them, much less because they are the champions of the Champions League and are always there, they weren't the best team in this Champions League and yet they beat them all."
Messi: "The Champions League? The best team don't always win. Real Madrid were not the best team this season, without taking away any merit because they are the Champions League champions and they are always there." https://t.co/GdEKTkwlia
The Santiago Bernabeu outfit have won the Champions League five times in the last nine years.
Lionel Messi failed to impress against Real Madrid in the Champions League
Lionel Messi put an end to his 21-year association with Barcelona last summer. He went on to put pen to paper on a two-year deal with French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The Parisians were hopeful that the Argentina international could help them to glory in the Champions League. However, the 34-year-old could not prevent them from bowing out of the last 16 of the competition.
PSG faced Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 in the recently-concluded season. Mauricio Pochettino's side earned a 1-0 win in the first leg of the tie, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the winner.
However, Los Blancos booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition with a 3-1 win against the Parisians in the return leg. Messi started both the games but struggled to live up to expectations.