The threat of Leo Messi is such that even the best coaches in the world do not always have the tactical solutions to stop him, but Carlo Ancelotti has revealed the trick he used to help his Real Madrid players alleviate fears of facing the Argentine.
The head coach of Everton faces high flying Manchester City in the FA Cup, and stated that dealing with Pep Guardiola‘s team is a bit like facing Messi.
“When I was at Real Madrid and we played many times against Messi, who was one of the best opponents, I never spoke to the players about Messi [otherwise] they would get scared,” he said.
“So that’s why I try not to talk too much about City.
“Instead of talking about Messi, I pointed out other things. Everyone knows the players and their individual quality. Focus on what you have to do.
“I’m satisfied because this week worked well. I don’t know if we can show the same quality as in training as against City.
“For these types of matches you have to show your quality and not try to defend the opponent’s quality. If you focus on your game, you don’t have to worry too much about your opponent.”
