Mauricio Pochettino
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And outside is people that pay attention, that make decisions on you in this football club, that pay attention to what is going on around.
Of course it had an effect, you know, I don't know if you remember when I took off Messi, no?
Because I saw there was a big risk after my doctor advised in his knee, there was a problem in his knee.
The problem wasn't inside with Leo, the problem was outside.
The people started to criticize,
being very disrespectful.
He said, even Guardiola never always asked Messi to go.
And that guy doesn't understand that Messi need to be in the pitch always, 90 minutes.
And this type of thing, you know, that create a bad image from you and you cannot do nothing because it's so powerful.
Yes, and my wife is going to kill me again because I'm going to explain.
When that happened, there was again Lyon that we were winning all the games, after 10 games or eight games, winning, winning, winning, winning.
And two weeks after Lyon, we played against Manchester City.
After Messi scored and we beat Manchester City 2-1 in Paris.
My best intention was to protect because I was thinking he needed to play in the Champions League.
If I don't make a decision, I'll get injured and it's affecting him to the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.
It's too many things in your mind when you are a coach.
You were there and it's not easy.
And I made the decision.
But my fault was not to ask him.
I was, you know.