Messi (2): "We want the Liga back"

Barcelona player Lionel Messi gave an interview to Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport.


(read the first part of the interview here)


You can win the Golden Ball this year?
I don't know but I sure would like to be the first Argentinian to win it. Di Stefano won it being a Spaniard, Sivori being an Italian.

Your great friend Ronaldinho is not one of the 30 candidates.
I hear him often, we're sending text messages. He's glad in Milan, he's adapting. Ronnie is a phenomenon, also as a person. When you start to know him better in Italy, you'll agree with me.

Who would you give the Golden Ball and the FIFA World Player award to?
To Agüero. But Torres and Xavi deserve it more. From Cristiano Ronaldo to Kakà, from Ibrahimovic to Rooney, they're all in the running. Iniesta is missing and I do not understand why: he's an excellent player."

Cristiano Ronaldo is the favourite?
He's a great player. Lastyear he was ahead of me in the Golden Ball and I was ahead of him in the World Player. It will be again a good fight.

There are very few "Italians" on the list. Ibrahimovic has a chance?
He scores incredible goals and he improved a lot since Mourinho arrived at Inter. You can see that he enjoys himself.

You prefer to win the Liga or the Champions this season?
We didn't win the Liga for two years and we want it back. The Champions is a different story: you should take it match by match and you need some luck.

Who is the most dangerous rival in Europe?
If I have to choose one: Liverpool. They have Torres, Gerrard, Kuyt, Mascherano, it's a difficult team to play against. Perhaps there are teams that play better but I see them reaching the final in Rome.

And in Spain?
Real Madrid. But Valencia and Seville are also very effective teams. And Villarreal plays the best football, together with Barcelona.

Giuseppe Rossi plays with Villareal.
I saw him against Atletico Madrid the other day. He always scores, he has a great future ahead.


This was the second and last part of this interview.

You can read the first part here:
Messi (1): "I'm not going to change my style"