Ivan Rakitić has revealed a private joke he shared with Lionel Messi while they were FC Barcelona teammates.
“I was talking to Messi and I said to him: ‘You won everything, you scored all these goals”, but I said to him: “I won a trophy that you will never have … You will never win never the Europa League. “” Said Rakitić with humor in an interview which will be broadcast on La Liga TV.
The Croatian captain won Sevilla in a penalty shootout victory over Benfica in 2014 to claim UEFA’s second-biggest continental trophy.
Rakitić won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, but it was all alongside Messi.
Both share the distinction of having been finalists for the FIFA World Cup.
The only Rakitić team trophy that Messi doesn’t own, aside from the Europa League, is the Swiss Cup. The Argentinian star is unlikely to ever play in this competition.
Sevilla will soon face Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, with the Croatian side leading 2-0 in the first leg.
Barcelona took their revenge in La Liga last weekend, with Messi and Ousmane Dembélé on target as the Catalans headed for a 2-0 win and three points.
“We have to change the details like the first goal. They stole from us and Leo got the ball back, turned around and was able to give the pass. You cannot allow Barca. We haven’t suffered much, you can’t afford them the bare minimum, ”Rakitić told the media, reflecting on the recent loss.