Obi Mikel participated in a talk in the channel of Youtube of Rio Ferdinand where confessed his admiration by Leo Messi, to the that considers the best player against which has played. The exjugador of Chelsea reviewed his clashes with the Argentinian and ensured that it was (almost) impossible to stop it. The mythical defence of the Manchester United asked him who is the best player against which has confronted and his answer was very clear: "For me Messi. Messi was the man".
Mikel revealed the form that had to stop to the '10' of the Barça in his stage like footballer of Chelsea: "The training of all the week was for to Messi. The plan of game was to give him patadas. You have to have two or three players with him. You can not defend one for one against him. It is impossible. Impossible. You are died".
"And the form in which they play, the form in which they move the balloon with the only purpose to give him the ball to him. And all what does is to look the party. I know that all speak of how walks, but is alone to find the space". "And once the ball arrives him to him, all the world runs, all move . So difficult... The way in which it touches the ball, the form in which it happens", added the exjugador international by Nigeria.
The comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo
"I know that the comparison is here, but I, because I have confronted me to the two, and Messi was very near of me. When you play against them, for me, I do not go to say to kilometres, by what has done Christian also. But for me, really I do not see the comparison in no way, because Messi is of another planet. It is so good...", it said Obi Mikel, ensuring that no can them compare.
In his stage like footballer of the picture londinense, the African confronted several times to the rosarino and lived closely his best moments like footballer. The first time that crossed was in 2009, in the semifinals of the Champions League. The eliminatory resolved in favour of the Catalan team with the goal of Andres Iniesta in Stamford Bridge. Three years afterwards saw again the faces, again in some semifinals of Champions. The 'blues' avenged three years afterwards with the tie to two in the Camp Nou, where Messi was one of the protagonists when failing a penalti.