Garcia: ‘No adjectives for Messi’

By Football Italia staff

Roma Coach Rudi Garcia says Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is ‘impossible to define’ and promises a performances of ‘humility and ambition.’

The two sides face off at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening in the first round of this season’s Champions League, with kick off at 19:45 UK time.

“We know they’re a really strong team, they’ve won their first three league games, but you don’t need to say much because everyone knows that,” Garcia said at today’s pre-match Press conference.

“There aren’t sufficient adjectives to define Messi – he’s one of the best, if not the very best.

“There isn’t a plan to deal with individual players, we’re thinking about the entire Barca squad. I agree that things can be resolved on the collective level, both in defence and attack, we can’t defend for the whole match.

“We know that we will be made to suffer, but we must also circulate the ball to create danger.

“Even if they’re not at their best, they’re still one of the greatest teams in the world. Tomorrow we’ll play with humility and ambition – we want to qualify, we need six matches at our best and to record points.

“If I told you I was thinking about making a surprise change to the team, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. We’re ready to use more than one formation against Barca. Maybe we will tomorrow, we have at least two plans and the objective is always the same – get a result.

“I have a big squad and I don’t mind absences before a game – I look at the available players and speak to the injured ones, but when they can’t play there’s nothing you can do.

“Antonio Rudiger is injured. Castan is more complicated, he hasn’t played for an entire year. He’s improving, we’ve taken advantage of the break, but he’s not yet at 100 per cent. He’s as motivated as a lion, a strong player and a fantastic man but I must manage the team the best way.

“We are calm, also because Daniele De Rossi can help us at centre-back, like we saw against Juventus.”

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