Jorge Sampaoli has jokingly urged FIFA to ban the attacking trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar – the worst thing that has happened to football.
In an interview with El Pais, the Chile boss claimed that Barcelona’s MSN (Messi, Suarez and Neymar) are better than Real Madrid’s BBC (Benzema, Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo). According to Sampaoli, Messi alone can win games on his own but the company of Neymar and Suarez, they have become invaluable.
“Fifa must intervene. The friendship between Leo, Neymar and Suarez is the worst thing that has happened to football,” Sampaoli said jokingly.
“Leo alone can win a game. If in addition, he empowers Suarez and Neymar, that is invaluable. They should ban it.
He went on to explain that Real Madrid’s front three don’t combine very well and leave their individual mark on a game in contrast to the selfless display at Camp Nou.
“The difference with Madrid is that Bale, Ronaldo and Benzema, their trident, do not enhance each other but are neutralised.
“If Ronaldo starts a move it ends with him if Bale does it’s the same. Benzema grabs what he can but does not create anything.”
Sampaoli, who was nominated for the 2015 Coach of the Year award for guiding Chile to the Copa America victory last year, also revealed the two coaches he looks up to. According to him, Pep Guardiola is a revolutionary coach who isn’t afraid of trying something new. He also believes that the 60-year-old Argentine coach, Marcelo Bielsa, is among the very best in the world.
“Guardiola is a revolutionary who is trying to install his philosophy anywhere, even in Germany, which is unusual. That is Pep’s great triumph – he is not afraid of anything,” he added.
“He and Bielsa are the two best in the world because they make the players believe in them. They have different ideas: one is a commitment to vertical and direct play, and the other starves you of possession, but both are focused on attack.
“I have teachings of both.”
Sampaoli takes inspirations from the different coaching philosophies of Guardiola and Bielsa. He led Chile to their first international trophy last year as they defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final of the Copa America in Chile.
Messi, Suarez and Neymar have scored a total of 67 goals so far this season while their Santiago Bernabeu counterparts have netted 60 goals. Both the teams registered massive victories at the weekend. Real Madrid won 5 – 1 against Gijon while the Blaugrana Giants defeated ten men Atheltic Bilbao 6 – 0 at Camp Nou. Both the teams are separated by two points after 20 matches but Barcelona have a game in hand, and they can extend the gap to five points.