How to stop Messi?

Tim de Cler, the AZ (and ex-Ajax) defender who most likely will play left full back, smiles at the question. “I won’t play him like Coigoechea did Maradona. I like him too much as a player, so I won’t break his legs.” Barca team-mates Van Bronckhorst and Van Bommel have taken Messi on at training many times. Gio: “He is actually too good to really mark. Doesn’t matter what you do, he’ll always find a way to pass you. He may fail 9 times, but the 10th time he’s gone. And when he is gone, he’ll do something special with the ball…”. Van Bommel knows the only way:”Sometimes, when he gets to cocky, I will tackle him fiercely. The little brat likes to play the ball through your legs. He did it twice with me once, so I challenged him seriously. Rijkaard was furious. We can’t do that stuff at training. But you can in the match!”

Counting down, folks…