FC Barcelona’s captain Lionel Messi feels with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus, the Seria A champions are now favourites for the Champions League. However, Messi was shocked after heating the departure of Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Messi was shocked to see the departure of his fellow rival.
Messi arch rival Ronaldo joined Juventus in the summer transfer window. In an interview with Catalunya Radio on Monday, Messi finally broke his silence to talk about the shock transfer.
The Argentine forward feels Real Madrid will be less good without Ronaldo, while Juventus are now top contenders for the Champions League.
The new Barcelona captain told Catalunya Radio:
“Real Madrid are one of the best teams in the world and they have a great squad [but] it’s evident that the absence of Ronaldo makes them less good and makes Juventus [one of the] clear favourites to win the Champions League.”
When asked if he was shocked after the hearing the departure of Ronaldo, the player said:
“It surprised me [when he left]. I didn’t imagine him leaving Madrid or joining Juventus. There were a lot of teams that wanted him. It surprised me, but he has gone to a very good team.”
Meanwhile, Messi also talked about his side’s new signings in the summer transfer window. The skipper is excited to work with the new players in the squad.
“I didn’t know much about Arthur before [he joined], but he’s really similar to Xavi. He’s really safe and reliable [on the ball]. He has the style of a player that’s come through La Masia. He plays well over short distances, he doesn’t lose the ball… He’s got to grips really quickly with the team’s dynamic.”
Barcelona started their La Liga campaign with three wins a row and now are at the top of the table. Before the International break, they thrashed SD Huesca 8-2 at home with Messi scoring two goals.