It’s the one question that will never cease to undermine Lionel Messi’s impressive achievements, the one comeback Cristiano advocates often use when arguing Ronaldo’s supremacy over Leo in world football: can he (Leo) do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke?
The 30-year-old Real Madrid superstar graced the Portuguese league, whilst also proving himself in the English Premier League, but La Pulga, on the other hand, knows no home other than La Liga.
Many doubt whether the five-time Ballon d’Or winner can succeed in a brutal, competitive scene such as the Britannia Stadium: a place where champions lose and where rough, sometimes leg-breaking tackles are an everyday occurrence.
However, the 28-year-old striker’s response to the old-age question has now been revealed. In a Guillem Balague interview with former Barcelona ace Bojan Krkic on Revista La Liga, the two discussed the matter, with the La Liga expert revealing Messi’s thoughts on the topic.
Can Messi cope with the famously brutal Britannia Stadium?
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“Messi can do it! I understand that teams don’t like to come to the Britannia Stadium, especially in winter with the wind, the cold … and we’re a strong team. It’s not easy. But I try to enjoy it and I try to improve my football in that situation,” said Bojan.
Balague responded by saying: “I asked Messi about that. He said, ‘Those people that say that should realise I played in awful conditions in Rosario when I was 11 years old, with glass on the pitch, with holes and everything,’ … And he also played good.”
“Of course. If he came to the Britannia he will also play good,” replied the Stoke attacker.
And there we have, Messi’s thoughts on the “but can he do it on a cold rain night in Stoke” debate.
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