MESSI MAGIC

It’s no news that Lionel Messi is the greatest football player to grace this planet.

- AMRITANSHU AMRIT

He has all the laurels and awards to show for it, but the boy from Rosario (now a grown man) is much more than Golden Boots and Ballon D'ors.

It’s safe to say Messi cemented his status as an all time great long, long ago. I was but a boy when I first heard of him. Tiny frame, flowing locks, and lightning quick feet — a protagonist straight from an anime. He rose to prominence with Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona and left the club as God. We all know the story, but what makes him so special? What sets him apart from the rest?

Today we'll do a deep dive to understand the messiah. Stats don’t tell the entire story, nor do videos. I'll do my best to capture into words the magical genius of Messi.

Throughout the history of the beautiful game tactics have evolved constantly, requiring coaches and players to adapt regularly. We've seen countless systems come and go, from Netherlands’ (and Ajax’s) revolutionary Total Football led by Johan Cruyff, to the dour yet effective catenaccio employed by countless Italian teams.

The latest rage in world football is gegenpressing. It’s a German term which translates to counter-pressing. Traditionally, teams are coached to fall back into defensive positions while maintaining shape. Gegenpressing needs teams to chase the ball as soon as they lose possession. It’s an intense system. There has been a rise in coaches using the counter-press, leading to highly entertaining games.

This doesn’t mean that the gegenpress has no limitations. We'll get to the details in another deep dive. Simply put, the system demands sacrifices. Sacrifices coaches are willing to make in the form of ‘luxury players’.

Who and what is a luxury player? Let's find out.

Football has always had different archetypes and modifications for the same position. For example, a striker can be played as: