Messi leading Barça from the front

At 21, Lionel Messi already seems to have been around forever but, as he admits, fame is nothing without silverware and trophies are what he craves. Described as an attacking midfielder, second striker, winger or archetypal No10, he is all four and more – a creator and a goalscorer who can harry the opposition into giving him the ball. He has been in outstanding form this season with the great player's knack for scoring vital goals, including five in the UEFA Champions League ahead of the resumption of the competition next week when FC Barcelona travel to take on Olympique Lyonnais.

Champions: Barça organise their game around you. Halfway through, can you be the star of this UEFA Champions League?

Lionel Messi: Even though this is just the beginning of Josep Guardiola's era, and early to talk about such things, I don't think my role is any different to the one I played under Frank Rijkaard. All I can say is that I love playing in front of goal and making the difference in that part of the field; that's where I can be most dangerous and really hurt the opposition.

Champions: How much do Barça depend on you for creativity?

Messi: I am just one member of the attack. Any team that depends on just one player can't be a true football team.

Champions: Pep Guardiola comes across as much more of a disciplinarian than Rijkaard. Is that true?

Messi: Every coach follows his own rule book. If that wasn't the case, clubs wouldn't change their coaches as often as they do. As I see it, it is not true that Rijkaard lacked personality. That's a very hasty judgment. Under Rijkaard, Barcelona achieved a lot, and nobody criticised the way he was managing the squad while we were winning.

Champions: Which is more important to you, the Liga or Europe?

Messi: Both. I don't have any preference ... or let's say that priorities will be set along the way as we progress, based on how we perform in each of these tournaments. You can't tell until the moment comes. But I will say that Barcelona will fight just as hard to win both titles, as long as we still have a chance to do so.

Champions: Who do you see as the favourites to make it to Rome?

Messi: All of the big names will be our main rivals, and all of them must be considered favourites to win the title. I don't believe in surprises. I don't think surprises can happen in competitions like the Champions League. The English clubs, for instance, showed their strength last year.

Champions: What is the main thing that Barcelona have going for them this season?

Messi: I hope things go our way. Despite all the speculation and talk of our downfall that we heard last year, we still managed to get to the Champions League semi-finals. And, had we advanced as far as the final, the story would have been very different.

Champions: You missed last season's quarter-final with injury. How was it watching your team-mates?

Messi: It was one of the saddest moments I've experienced in my career so far. I wouldn't wish it to happen to anyone. And last year I had to go through that kind of thing several times. That's the reason I reacted so badly the moment I picked up the injury to my thigh. [He burst into tears when he tore a thigh muscle in his left leg.]

Champions: Is last season's disappointment behind you now?

Messi: I put that behind me from the very first moment. I'm not someone who lives stuck in the past. The only important thing for me is that Barcelona have huge challenges ahead of us.

Champions: How did Ronaldinho's exit affect the team?

Messi: The team hasn't been affected at all. You devote yourself completely to the team or you don't – everything comes down to results. Ronaldinho gave a lot to this club, nobody can deny that. But from time to time, a cycle comes to an end. For him, last season was the end of one of those cycles. Barcelona might have lost some important players, but we have an excellent squad, one that can mount a really strong challenge on the Spanish title. And the same can be said for the Champions League.

Champions: What influence – if any – did he have on your development at Barça?

Messi: He helped me a lot when I was starting out. As soon as I made it into the first team, he went out of his way to take care of me and helped me a lot with the day-to-day things and in my relationships with the rest of the squad. I will never forget the attention he paid to me. It is with things like that that you recognise the truly great people. On the field, he was one of the best partners I have ever had. With him, everything was easy.

Champions: Are you still in touch with him?

Messi: Absolutely. He is my friend, and I will never forget him. We were very close when we worked together, and as I say he has always been good to me.

Champions: There was a lot of talk about the party culture. How come you have not been caught up in that?

Messi: My family are my support. They help me keep both feet firmly on the ground, and I lean on them all the time. I don't care what people say, the only thing that matters is how you perform professionally. I am a very calm person and I live a quiet life.

Champions: You are now one of the leaders of the team. How does that kind of responsibility sit on your shoulders?

Messi: I'm ready to take on all the responsibilities the coach sees fit to trust me with. It's as simple as that. Hopefully, I can make an important contribution to the team and help take Barcelona to the top, both in the Liga and the Champions League. I just hope I am always able to help whenever my team need me. Barcelona are a very important part of my life. They have helped me during crucial moments, such as when they took care of my health problems. I was discovered by them, they have helped in my development and have always been very good to me. I feel at home at this club.

Champions: You're still very young. What do you hope to achieve?

Messi: With Barcelona, all the titles we are contending for this season. And it would be fantastic to grow as a player with Argentina. I won the [FIFA] U-20 World Cup in 2005, but now the aim is to win another crown, sooner rather than later.

Champions: Finally, was your goal against RCD Espanyol, the one that needed a helping hand, some kind of tribute to Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal against England?

Messi: Diego is the best football player in the history of the game. He is one of my heroes. I idolise him. Diego is unique and nobody can compare with him. But as far as that goal I scored things just happened that way. I wasn't thinking about Maradona's goal while I was running. It was only later, when I left the dressing room and talked to my family and saw it on television, that I became fully aware of what I had just done.

This article appears in the latest edition of Champions, the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League. To subscribe, click here.