Courtesy between footballers is not as common as we would like, but Marc-André Ter Stegen surely showed it when speaking about his colleague, David De Gea.
In a press conference to unveil the book "Relatos Solidarios del Deporte", in which the goalkeeper is featured on the cover, Ter Stegen described how he chose not to celebrate Messi's second goal due to De Gea's blunder.
If you remember correctly, De Gea failed to hold on to Messi's shot on goal with the game 1-0, killing Manchester United's chances of a comeback. With that in mind, Ter Stegen showed a bit of remorse when celebrating his team's lead.
"We are all human and it could happen to anyone. I had a bit of a hard time celebrating that goal because he is a colleague and we play in the same position. Life goes on, and it will go on for him too. I told him not to worry about it because it was just a mistake. Maybe someday it can happen to me," Ter Stegen said.
Footage recorded by ESPN journalist Martín Ainstein shows that Ter Stegen did not celebrate Messi's second goal.
Es más, no lo festejó. Aqui la prueba. pic.twitter.com/aeU2o8LvWu
— Martín Ainstein (@martinainstein) April 18, 2019
The shot-stopper also shared his views on the upcoming tie against Liverpool.
"We are really happy because it will be a nice game to play. We have our chances to win the tie, and maybe it will be one more step to achieve something great for the club. The UEFA Champions League is a very special competition and we just want to reach our objectives," the goalie added.