3 player careers that were ruined by Lionel Messi’s dominance at Barcelona

Three careers that were destroyed because of Lionel Messi’s presence

Lionel Messi is by far the greatest ever footballer that Barcelona and the world have seen so far. The player was enrolled in Barca’s famous La Masia at the age of 13 and since then Messi has gone on to win every trophy with the club umpteen number of times while also collecting numerous individual trophies.

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However, Messi’s rise at the Camp Nou has seen the downfall of several other players as well in the due process. The club was aware of the talent that they had in their hands and for Messi to grow as a complete footballer, managers were required to offer the player more freedom in the pitch which ultimately meant that others had to sacrifice their role.

The Argentine forward has been with the senior squad since the 2003-04 season and since then the player has been part of several different squads including Pep Guardiola’s and Luis Enrique’s treble-winning squads.

With each different squad, the managers had to make a few tweaks and adjustments in their tactics to provide Messi the ultimate freedom of operating at his very best.

Nonetheless, getting in the way of several world-class players was harsh of Messi and it seems like there will be no end to his hegemony at the Camp Nou. The Argentina international at this point in time seems like a figure that has been made to look bigger than the club and he needs to shown that there’s no place for individual.

Nonetheless, here are three players whose careers were ruined by the player’s constant demands and central authority.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi still remain friends despite the false rumours in the media about the pair falling out at Barca. However, the former Paris Saint-Germain striker has admitted in his autobiography that his career at the Camp Nou had come to standstill because of Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola

He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed -Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Lionel Messi wanting to play in the centre as a false nine, according to Bleacher Report

The Sweden international just lasted for a single season at the Camp Nou and was shortly then loaned out to AC Milan in the 2010-11 season. Zlatan slammed Pep Guardiola as well for not playing him in his natural position by stating that you bought a Ferrari but you drove it like a Fiat.

The fact that Messi wanted to play in the middle and not on the right-wing anymore had doomed Zlatan’s career at Barca. The former Manchester United man has been a success at every club he has represented, however, his short stint at Catalonia will be one to forget.

ALEXIS SANCHEZ

It is a well-known fact that Alexis Sanchez is no longer the player he once was, however, the Inter Milan forward was once a promising talent at Barcelona before he took the Premier League by a storm at Arsenal.

Unfortunately, Sanchez was not given the importance he deserved at Barca nor was the player recognized as a future superstar. The South American forward was extremely fast and skillful while also having an eye for goal, however, it was a free role that the player needed to thrive in Barca that was never given to him.

The former Manchester United man played in a much more conservative role as he had to track back to help the defense and was often demanded to release the ball sooner which severely limited the impact he could have.

In the 2013-14 season when Messi was struggling with hamstring issues, Alexis Sanchez showed the world his true colours as he scored 19 goals in the league along with 12 assists. The next season Sanchez was sold to Arsenal where he went on to score 80 goals in all competitions for the Gunners.

PHILIPPE COUTINHO

Coutinho’s transfer to Barcelona and his failure to live up to the expectations has been quite a controversy. The former Liverpool superstar was no longer the main man at Barca. At Anfield, the Brazilian had the role of creating attacks and setting the pace for the Reds, however, at the Camp Nou that role was for Leo Messi. Instead, Coutinho was demanded to contribute in the defense as well and had less of the ball than he generally prefers.

The similar style of play between Messi and Coutinho was the very reason why the former Inter midfielder failed to have a significant impact. However, under Ronald Koeman this season, Coutinho could be given a different role that could see him have more of the ball and dictate the play as well.