Ex-Barca Defender Reveals How Messi Was Made Immune To Training Tackles
Former Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo has revealed the club's defenders were barred from tackling Lionel Messi in training for fear of injuring him.
Todibo spent two years on the books of Barcelona and had the privilege of calling Messi a teammate.
With his status as the arguably the greatest player the world has ever seen, Messi enjoyed certain privileges at the Camp Nou.
To keep him fit and firing all the time, Todibo, who now plays for OGC Nice in France says there was a limit as to how physical defenders could get with the eight-time Ballon D'or winner.
"At Barcelona, we weren't allowed to touch him in training,” Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo told the Ligue 1 Show.
“That sounds far-fetched but it's true, we had to be careful, that's normal. He's the GOAT! You don't want to injure him."
Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 for Paris Saint Germain and enjoyed a two-year stay in the French capital before embarking on the next stage of his career in America's Major League Soccer with Inter Miami this summer.
Messi made 778 appearances for Barcelona after making his debut in 2003 and is the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals. He won 35 trophies with the club including four UEFA Champions League trophies and 10 La Liga titles.
