Ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino claimed that the idea that Argentina captain and World Cup star Lionel Messi is quiet is a myth, whilst hailing him as a leader.
Once Diego Maradona himself famously stated that Messi is “not a leader”, especially for his national team while talking to Fox Sports.
Several fans and pundits alike have echoed this opinion, due to the perception that the Barcelona legend comes across as an introvert.
Generally, some of the game’s greatest leaders such as Sergio Ramos and Roy Keane are associated with being extremely vocal and barking orders at their teammates.
Considering Messi seems to lead by example wherever he plays, he does not fit the category of a traditional leader to millions.
However, this take has been disproven by Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino hails Argentina legend Messi as a leader
The former Tottenham manager, who managed Argentine star Lionel Messi at PSG has claimed that the idea that he is too quiet is a myth, whilst praising his leadership qualities.
“Messi is now the leader that Argentina needs and for me, that is a massive step for him”, he wrote in a guest column for The Athletic.
Pochettino continued, “It’s not just the performances, which are what we expect. People think he is quiet but sometimes, what you perceive from the outside is wrong. He has a very strong character.”
“He doesn’t talk too much, but he talks when he needs to. Maybe we see him talking more now because of the technology.”
“We are seeing the real Messi. He was always like this. People like to talk in myths and we all know there are a lot of those in football.”
If there is one person who certainly knows about whether Argentina superstar Leo Messi is leader, it is Mauricio Pochettino who worked him until very recently.
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