Friday, December 4, 2009

Messi hails team-mates

Messi hails team-mates

Lionel Messi believes everyone at Barcelona can share the credit for his Ballon d'Or success.

The Argentina playmaker was named European Footballer of the Year on Tuesday morning, beating last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo by a record margin.

Barca players dominated the top 10, with Xavi finishing third in the voting and his midfield partner Andres Iniesta fourth.

Samuel Eto'o, who played a key role in Barca's 2008/9 success before moving to Inter Milan in the summer, was fifth.

Messi was delighted to come out on top but preferred to praise his team-mates and the youth system at Barcelona.

"To have the recognition of being the best player in the world is something special," he enthused.

"It makes me happy and proud, but neither was I obsessed with the award, I knew that it could happen and I'm not going to stop now, I have the same desire to do things well.

"It's also right that they recognised the efforts of Xavi, Andres and also Samuel. It's well-deserved that there are so many players from Barca up there.

"It would have been more difficult to achieve it without Iniesta and without Xavi. The prize is for all the group, to the youth system of Barcelona because we have achieved everything with a lot of home-grown players.

"It's important for the club. I would've voted for any of my team-mates.

"Anyone in our changing room deserved to win it."

Guardiola

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola echoed Messi's thoughts and paid tribute to the team as a whole.

He said: "It's a good sign. It's impossible to win these prizes if the team isn't winning.

"It's an individual prize because the player deserves it, but it is also one for the club, for so many unknown people."

Guardiola added: "Messi is a player at another level. He's so young and he already has league titles, two Champions Leagues, the highest recognition that a player can get... it's very good.

"The difference is in his head, in his competitive soul. When he's happy, things go his way. You need to control his emotional state; if he is stable he will have a long career as a footballer.

"He has all the attributes, he's tough, skilful, scores goals, is good with his head, understands the game... to be among the best you need to be good at all things and he has that. He must understand that it is a gift for him and for the team."

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