Rodolfo Borrell, a former coach at La Masía (Barcelona‘s famed youth academy) between 1996 and 2006 and later assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, made perhaps one of the most inaccurate player evaluations in football history: he didn’t believe Lionel Messi had the potential to succeed at Barcelona.
Cristian Hernández, a former teammate of Messi’s in the Barcelona youth system, revealed Borrell’s assessment on the “El 10 del Barça” program. According to Hernández, Borrell downplayed Messi’s abilities, deeming him unfit for the club.
“When I was at Can Barça, we had a coach named Rodolfo Borrell, who years later was Pep Guardiola‘s assistant coach, who didn’t like Messi,” Hernández explained.
Borrell reportedly criticized Messi’s playing style, describing it as too similar to futsal (indoor soccer), stating that the young Messi “touched the ball too much” and “dribbled too much.”
Hernández countered that Borrell’s view was inaccurate, emphasizing Messi’s innate goal-scoring instinct: “He said he was an indoor soccer player, that he touched the ball too much and that he dribbled too much, and it was actually the opposite, because if Leo Messi had anything it was that he went straight for the goal.”
Despite Borrell’s doubts, Messi continued to shine in the Barcelona youth ranks. Even at 13, his exceptional talent was evident. However, Hernández recounted the significant uncertainty surrounding Messi’s potential, with Borrell going so far as to state that Messi was “not a player for this club.”
The passage of time has shown the magnitude of Borrell’s misjudgment. Messi’s career with Barcelona became a legendary love story. He played 778 official matches, scored 672 goals, provided 303 assists, and won 34 titles, including ten La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and three Club World Cups. His legacy at the club is unparalleled.
