The extent of protection afforded to Lionel Messi during training sessions at Barcelona has been revealed by former Blaugrana star Jean-Clair Todibo.
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Todibo spilled the beans from his Spanish daysMessi was protected by Barcelona Was not allowed to be fouled by defendersWHAT HAPPENED?
Jean-Clair Todibo, the Nice defender, disclosed a peculiar training ground rule during his time at the Catalan club. Todibo, initially considered a rising star upon joining Barcelona in 2019, could not find his feet at the club and was subsequently loaned to Schalke 04, Benfica, and Nice, before securing a permanent deal with the Ligue 1 outfit in 2021. Nonetheless, during his limited time at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, he watched Messi train from close quarters and in a recent talk show he spoke about the extraordinary measures that the club took to protect their talisman from getting injured.
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Speaking to the Ligue 1 Show (via ), Todibo disclosed: "At Barcelona, we weren't allowed to touch Leo Messi in training. It sounds crazy, but it's true. We had to be careful. It's normal, he's the best, you don't want to hurt him."
(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Todibo could make just five appearances for Barcelona. However, the defender is finally realising his potential with Nice and the Eaglets have conceded just four times in 13 matches in Ligue 1 this campaign. In fact, they conceded three times in their defeat to PSG which means, Todibo and Co have let in just once in 12 matches.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the club failed to hand him his desired contract, citing financial challenges. During his stay at Camp Nou, he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times.