Catalans see Parkhead as cathedral of football .. only trouble is it just inspires the Messiah to perform his miracles
Lionel Messi uses the raucous passion of Celtic Park as fuel to drive him to the heights that make him the best player on the planet.
That’s the worrying insight into the mind of the little Argentinian genius from his biographer Guillem Balague as Champions League matchday five beckons on Wednesday night.
Sky Sports pundit and La Liga expert Balague has chronicled Messi’s stellar career from close quarters at the Camp Nou and insists the Barcelona superstar’s love affair with the home of the Hoops has never been a cynical PR soundbite.
Balague believes lethal Lionel – who bagged a hat-trick in the 7- 0 destruction of Brendan Rodgers’ side in Spain – now needs the jolt of electricity that nights like this provide to keep sparking him to his very best.
Messi has a stomach bug ahead of the game but Balague knows he will be desperate to run out at Parkhead.
He said: “I have spoken so many times with those inside Barca about Celtic Park and they see it as a cathedral of football. I include both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique in that.
“Barca players love the place and have a genuine respect for the passion there. That level of atmosphere only exists at the Camp Nou against Real Madrid.
“Generally, Barca fans make a noise against the referee and not their rivals. BButt att PParkhead,khd Messi and the rest feel like they are walking into 90 minutes of hell and then a minute after the game the whole stadium is clapping them. They love it and thrive on it.
“With Messi, in particular, give him hell and you will get the best from him. So be careful what you wish for.”
Barca’s best ever win in European competition was Celtic’s worst ever defeat.
That stark statistic from the September dismantling puts the task ahead of Rodgers’ team, who lie bottom of Group C, into perspective.
The tactical battle ahead will be discussed in detail with guests including Leeds No.2 Pep Clotet in what promises to be a fascinating ‘ Evening With Guil lem Balague’ in Glasgow’s Walkabout on Tuesday. Balague said: “The 7- 0 game has to be viewed as a learning curve for Brendan and Celtic but it is a dark place to which they will not want to return. “It will be interesting to see how Celtic approach it. Will it be with fear or has that 3-3 draw with Man City given them heart? It is so difficult to play Barca. A lot of things have to go your way. “Brendan’s first attempt didn’t work and he must find another solution. He is a
shrewd man, he’ll learn from it.” Balague’s first venture as an author 11 years ago was to chronicle fellow Spaniard Rafael Benitez’s move into the Liverpool hotseat in ‘A Season On The Brink’.
Best-selling books on Guardiola, Messi and now Cristiano Ronaldo have followed.
He relishes getting under the skin of subjects to study modern-day coaches like Celtic’s Rodgers.
And he said: “I have followed Brendan for a while. We met when he was reserve coach at Chelsea and it was nice to know he has followed the books I’ve written.
“It was always interesting to see what he would do next. He had massive offers to go to China and Qatar but it would have been strange for him to go there.
“Instead he has chosen a winning team that wants to progress.” As Rodgers bids to halt Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, Guardiola will be in Germany knowing a win over Borussia Monchengladbach will propel Man City into the last 16 with a game to spare.
Balague’s book ‘Guardiola: Another Way of Winning’ is the go-to guide for anyone who wants to understand the workings of the man.
Balague is intrigued to study City under Guardiola. He said: “Pep tried to make Bayern the next Barcelona and it didn’t work. Look at City this season and you will see that 80 per cent of their goals have been on the counter-attack.
“Guardiola is a different coach now and a better one than he was at Barca.”
Every Celtic fan clings to November 7, 2012 and that Tony Watt goal which sealed a famous 2-1 win over Barca.
And Balague said: “Barcelona had 89 per cent possession in that match. Celtic were not looking to win – they were playing with their f ingers crossed. Brendan will want to work for a result.”
An Evening With Guillem Balague is at Walkabout in Glasgow on Tuesday November 22 with a 7pm start. For tickets go to seetickets.com.