Rummenigge praises and warns against Messi

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has highlighted his great admiration for Barça superstar Lionel Messi in front of the quarter-final hit of FC Bayern.

Bavaria’s midfielder Leon Goretzka pointed out the only way to stop the Argentine. “I think it only works as a collective. Everyone knows what a gifted footballer he is. He is able to find many solutions for situations even in confined spaces,” said the 25-year-old. “We will have to fight as a team. Whether he can be deprived of the joy of the game in the first place is a matter of fact.”

Goretzka is happy anyway. Having been allowed to play against Cristiano Ronaldo several times, it was nice to be able to “meet the second absolutely influential footballer of the last decade. Let’s see what that looks like up close.”