Messi: The genius who doesn't need to run as much as the rest
Lionel Messi doesn’t run huge distances. He doesn’t need to. He is not a physical player like Cristiano Ronaldo or Diego Costa, the two forwards who have accumulated the most kilometres in the Champions League.
Messi is not an energetic or vigorous player. He runs less and with less velocity than Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also less impulsive. He’s not exaggerated in his efforts. He knows what to do and when. He is pure instinct. This season, he averages 7.9km per game, while Ronaldo averages more than 9km. Overall, Messi has ran 31,625km, while Ronaldo has ran 61,085km. Albert Einstein said: “Genius is one percent talent and 99 percent hard work.” Against Arsenal, the Argentine put this reflection into doubt.
He waited for his moment. For 70 minutes at the Emirates Stadium he reserved his efforts, waiting for the perfect moment. That moment arrived 20 minutes from the end, when his team-mates had done the hard work on the counter-attack against an Arsenal side that had worked hard. Then, he won and scored the penalty minutes later which sealed a two-goal win against the Premier League side.
Messi ran less than all the other outfield players on the pitch because his football is not about chasing the ball or the rival. For a player of his individual quality and intelligence, it’s not a question of wasted effort. It is about waiting. Patience. Sometimes, switching off. And on Tuesday it worked once again. He visualised the goal the moment Barça broke away as Neymar and Luis Suarez led the attack. He sprinted into the area where he received the ball, took a touch, waited for a millisecond to deceive Petr Cech and lifted the ball home. One percent work, 99 percent talent.
