Ibrahim Afellay recalled the two years he spent in Barcelona, from 2010 to 2012, during which he lived in the locker room with Lionel Messi. The Dutchman, who has since retired from football, recalled that these were tough times when he was under a lot of pressure.
“I had nutritional problems and could not swallow food before games. It was very difficult, but I forced myself to eat. It was a very difficult period for me, ”Afellay said, referring to the pressure he felt before entering the field in every game.
Talking about pressure, the Dutchman remembers well that he was not the only one. At the time, Lionel Messi was very sick, which is actually still very strong in people’s heads, and the former player says it was exactly the same: due to the excessive pressure the Argentine was feeling.
“Of course, I felt close that the same thing was happening with Messi. The pressure was so strong that many times, right before we went out onto the field, he went to the bathroom and vomited. Another time we saw that he was vomiting even on the field, shortly before the start of the game, ”he said.
“This man has achieved everything that can be achieved in life. Never again will there be a player like him in the background. So if this person, who has nothing to prove to anyone, is still experiencing this pressure. I think it means something … “
