Can mark Lionel Messi only in my dreams: Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso
Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso said that he can only mark Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi in his dreams. Napoli will face Barcelona in the second leg of the round of 16 clash scheduled for August 8 at Camp Nou. The first leg at San Paolo ended in 1-1 draw.
Gattuso said he tried to catch Messi when he was at AC Milan during his playing days with 10-15 kilograms less than today.
"I can mark Messi only in my dreams," Napoli manager told reporters after the win over Lazio.
"Or if I set Napoli vs Barcelona on my son's PlayStation, trying to catch him there when I played for Milan with 10-15 kilograms less than today."
On Saturday, Gattuso's Napoli beat Lazio 3-1 to end the Serie A season on high. Fabian Ruiz, Lorenzo Insigne and Matteo Politano scored for Napoli.
On being asked, if he plays with same approach against the Catalan giants, Gattuso said Lazio and Barcelona are different teams. He pointed out differences between the two teams and said Lazia are mixed with technical and physical skills, while Barcelona are all about quality.
"I think they are very different teams [Lazio and Barcelona] with two different styles.
"Lazio mixes technical and physical skills. Barcelona are all about quality. I think it will be a different game. We don't have to think about score or not.
"We must play as a team, being confident that we can have our chances. We know that it will be an enterprise. Our mind must be free in order to express our qualities," he added.
