Paulo Dybala says he's going to follow Lionel Messi's path to greatness
Paulo Dybala says he is more than proud to hear that Lionel Messi called him his successor for the Argentine national team. The Juventus front man has been in incredible form this season leading the Turin club to the top of the Serie A with 14 goals in 24 appearances.
Having been called to represent his national side for the international friendlies later this week, Dybala says he's looking forward to meeting Messi having missed out on meeting him the last time he was on international duty.
Speaking to El Chiringuito, Dybala was ecstatic at the prospect of meeting his idol. “I’m proud that an idol like Messi says I’d be a worthy successor to him because it means I’m working well, so I must continue on this path," he said.
“When I joined up with the national team, he was injured so I didn’t manage to see him, but if everything goes well, I will get the chance to meet him again,” he added.
Dybala also spoke about Messi's arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo and admitted he was a huge fan of the Portuguese captain. He admires Ronaldo because he “demonstrates in every game what kind of player he is and because everyone who has played in his position would want to score all the goals he has.”
Finally, when asked about two of the world's biggest clubs, Dybala said while Zidane's philosophy is just starting, Barcelona have had the same style for a while and that its paying off now with them winning almost everything.
“Madrid play good football, but they have a new manager and it’s difficult in such a short time for them to play exactly how he wants,” he said.
On Barcelona, he said "They’ve stuck to their philosophy for a long time, since [Josep] Guardiola. They have the best players in the world at the moment and, going forward, no other team can attack like Barcelona do.
“It’s not easy to say who will win the Champions League this season because we’re talking about the eight strongest teams in Europe. Surely, though, it’s between Barcelona and Bayern Munich. I think one of the two will win it this season. “
Argentina host Bolivia in Argentina after playing away to Chile and Dybala will be hoping he can get a cap and play alongside his idol, Messi.