Thiago Motta has given an insight into what training was like during his eight-year spell with Barcelona.
His journey began at Barça, when he broke into their first team in 2001, and he would remain in Catalunya until 2007, during which time he rubbed shoulders with a young Lionel Messi – who he became acquainted with during one memorable training session.
“Training there was a war,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Espana).
“I remember once when I tackled Messi and his dad yelled at me. He said I had hit him too hard, but it was the only way to stop him. I’d touch the ball and they would all shout at me to pass it to them. The tackles were sometimes very rough but Carles Puyol told me to do the same, so after that, I didn’t have any problems and gained more respect.”
Dealing with Van Gaal
It was none other than Louis van Gaal, who Motta dealt with during the Dutchman’s second tenure at the Camp Nou, a period that saw Andres Iniesta make his first-team debut after coming up through the club’s fabled La Masia academy. Freshly arrived from South America, it was a period of awkward assimilation for Motta, not helped by Van Gaal’s rules.
“Van Gaal was very tough too and if you didn’t tuck your shirt in he wouldn’t even let you train. That was the year Iniesta made it into the first team. He was amazing and even at just 14 years old wasn’t afraid of anyone.”
Barcelona are next in action against Levante on Sunday.
