When Gai Assulin’s mentor and idol reunite at the Etihad Stadium today as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain meet in the Champions League, the man himself will be 10 miles away playing five-a-side with friends. The 30-year-old began his career under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, earning the nickname the “Israeli Messi”, but finds himself without a club.
Liverpool’s Thiago Alcântara has described d Assulin as “the most talented player I’ve ever seen in La Masia”, the winger impressing in the B team as he helped Guardiola win his first title and the chance to replace Frank Rijkaard as head coach. Assulin was rewarded with a debut under Guardiola in the Copa del Rey but he did not make another first-team appearance before moving on a free transfer in 2010 to City, where he did not get a look in under Roberto Mancini, who had little interest in the club’s youngsters. The early pressure of being synonymous with Lionel Messi was not a tag Assulin particularly enjoyed as he looked to come out of the Argentinian’s shadow.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 24, 2021 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 24, 2021 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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