Last year, Ronaldo sparked controversy by stating he was ‘sad’ at Real Madrid. Now, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is the one ‘lacking spark’ with ‘his head down a bit more than usual’ according to Dani Alves.
Lionel Messi is adored for his quiet behaviour. The diminutive Argentine often shies away from cameras and his private life is not something that is talked about in tabloids, unlike close rival Cristiano Ronaldo. That said, the world might never know if Messi is really sad at the moment as his Barcelona team mate, Dani Alves, suggests.
Of course, no one should expect Lionel Messi - with his calm character - to speak right into a microphone and claim that he is 'sad', especially not after signing a new lucrative Barcelona deal earlier in January.
Messi has not been decisive lately, and that is a fact. He was widely considered as the flop of the match during Barcelona’s shocking 2-0 loss away to Milan in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine player’s highlights of the night included a sky-high free-kick from 30 yards as stats revealed that he directed no shot on target.
Later on, Messi put in a rather forgettable performance in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final tie against Real Madrid on February 26. The battle ended 4-2 on aggregate for Los Blancos. Cristiano Ronaldo clearly edged the duel against La Pulga with a brace in the second leg that forced the Camp Nou stadium to be half-empty before the final whistle.
Bouncing back from that fiasco, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner scored in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier in March. However, his equalizer could not prevent Barcelona from losing 2-1 to their fierce rivals at the end of the day.
The public is used to seeing Lionel Messi and Barcelona thrive in every competition they feature. This year, the Blaugrana have already lost their Copa del Rey title and they will crash out from the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16 unless a comeback happens on March 12.
Lionel Messi recently brushed off claims that he looks sad and down, but team mate Dani Alves is certain that La Pulga is going through emotions presently.
“I think he's the same on a day-to-day basis; I think he's fine. But I'm no hypocrite; I don't dress things up. It's obvious that he's been lacking some spark in recent games,” the Brazilian defender declared in an one-on-one interview with Marca.
“Why? I don't know. I haven't tried to find out. I only want to know what people want to tell me. And if someone doesn't want to talk about their life or what they're going through, then who am I to ask?
“I respect his privacy. But I've noticed that his head has been down a bit more than usual. I think what sets him apart from the rest is that he has a lot of character and when he gets it wrong, he keeps trying.”
Taking his record to 17 goals in 17 Spanish La Liga games with a strike against Deportivo La Coruna last weekend could offer Messi a huge boost of confidence ahead of Tuesday night’s gigantic UEFA Champions League Last 16 fixture at home to favourites Milan.
Of course, no one should expect Lionel Messi - with his calm character - to speak right into a microphone and claim that he is 'sad', especially not after signing a new lucrative Barcelona deal earlier in January.
Messi has not been decisive lately, and that is a fact. He was widely considered as the flop of the match during Barcelona’s shocking 2-0 loss away to Milan in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine player’s highlights of the night included a sky-high free-kick from 30 yards as stats revealed that he directed no shot on target.
Later on, Messi put in a rather forgettable performance in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final tie against Real Madrid on February 26. The battle ended 4-2 on aggregate for Los Blancos. Cristiano Ronaldo clearly edged the duel against La Pulga with a brace in the second leg that forced the Camp Nou stadium to be half-empty before the final whistle.
Bouncing back from that fiasco, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner scored in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier in March. However, his equalizer could not prevent Barcelona from losing 2-1 to their fierce rivals at the end of the day.
The public is used to seeing Lionel Messi and Barcelona thrive in every competition they feature. This year, the Blaugrana have already lost their Copa del Rey title and they will crash out from the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16 unless a comeback happens on March 12.
Lionel Messi recently brushed off claims that he looks sad and down, but team mate Dani Alves is certain that La Pulga is going through emotions presently.
“I think he's the same on a day-to-day basis; I think he's fine. But I'm no hypocrite; I don't dress things up. It's obvious that he's been lacking some spark in recent games,” the Brazilian defender declared in an one-on-one interview with Marca.
“Why? I don't know. I haven't tried to find out. I only want to know what people want to tell me. And if someone doesn't want to talk about their life or what they're going through, then who am I to ask?
“I respect his privacy. But I've noticed that his head has been down a bit more than usual. I think what sets him apart from the rest is that he has a lot of character and when he gets it wrong, he keeps trying.”
Taking his record to 17 goals in 17 Spanish La Liga games with a strike against Deportivo La Coruna last weekend could offer Messi a huge boost of confidence ahead of Tuesday night’s gigantic UEFA Champions League Last 16 fixture at home to favourites Milan.
