MESSI
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique hailed hat-trick hero Lionel
Messi as the greatest player in the world "in every position" after
the Argentine maestro sent another record tumbling in a thumping 7-0 Champions
League win over Celtic.
Messi became the first player in European Cup history to
score six hat-tricks as he bagged his 40th career treble for club and country
in Barca's biggest European Cup win.
It was also Celtic's heaviest ever defeat in the competition.
The five-time World Player of the Year also assisted one of
Luis Suarez's two strikes in the goal glut as he weaved his way across the
Barcelona front line.
"Messi plays with complete freedom and he can change his
position as he wants. He's the best in the world in every position," Luis
Enrique told a news conference on Tuesday.
"If he plays as a No 9, a No 8 or a No 6, he's the best
in the world. He can judge the perfect pass from 40 yards and put the ball
wherever he wants.
"He's total football and we'd be very stupid if we
imposed limits on him," he added.
"For me, he's the best player of all time, both for the
number of goals he scores and for his footballing vision."
Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers was also in awe of Messi and the
other parts of the ruthless 'MSN' attacking trident of Messi, Suarez and
Neymar.
"They are very special players, they have incredible
movement and speed and stopping them is very difficult because they are world
class," he said.
"We tried to close down the spaces but they have so much
quality and speed. They move the ball around so quickly, they are at the top of
the game."
Despite overseeing the club's record defeat in European
competition, also the heaviest defeat for any club that has won the European
Cup, Rodgers tried to remain positive.
"We're going to try and learn a lot in this Champions
League campaign," he said. "It's no shame to lose 7-0 here."
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