Filipe Luis Spills the Beans on Diego Simeone’s Unusual Tactic to Contain Lionel Messi
In a recent episode of the Charla Podcast, former Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis provided insights into an unconventional strategy employed by his then-coach Diego Simeone to thwart the goal-scoring prowess of Lionel Messi.
Simeone, known for his strategic acumen, opted for a peculiar approach, as Luis revealed, “Whenever we played Barca, Simeone didn’t even mention his name. He used to call him ‘el-enano’ [the Spanish word for dwarf] in the dressing room.”
The Brazilian defender further elaborated that the intention behind this unique tactic was to alleviate the fear factor associated with facing Messi. By referring to the Argentine star in a less intimidating manner, Simeone aimed to psychologically prepare his players for the challenge of marking Messi during matches.
However, the spoiler alert is that the tactic didn’t prove successful, as Messi managed to score a remarkable 15 goals in 30 encounters against El Cholo’s Atletico. Despite the unconventional approach, Messi’s brilliance on the field prevailed over any attempt to diminish his impact.
