‘It is a joy to play with Messi:’ Rakitic

CAIRO – 21 September 2017: Barcelona star, Lionel Messi impresses football fans every game with his magic on the pitch, but for the player who shares the field with him it is a pleasure and joy.

Ivan Rakitic, who joined Barcelona in 2014 to play alongside Lionel the magician, spoke on Thursday about his feelings when he plays with Messi.

“It is a joy for me, just as a fan of pure football, to be able to play with him every day,” Rakitic told Daily Express.

Rakitic added, “As a playmaker, I am blessed to play with the greatest attackers in the world, with Messi, for example, the whole world sees his brilliance in the games, but you have to multiply that by 20 or 50 for what he’s doing in the training sessions.”

Rakitic praised Barcelona’s style of play saying, “There is a rhythm to the way we try to play; it’s like a big machine.”

Rakitic joined Barcelona from Sevilla and since then he became one of the regular players in Barcelona’s squad.