Henrik Larsson has caused a new controversy among football lovers when he omitted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in his ranking of the greatest-ever team mates even though he had shared a career with both of the legends.
He is one of those few players who played alongside Messi in Barcelona at Barcelona and also with Ronaldo at Manchester United at 2005-06 and 2006-07. However, modern-day great players were not mentioned when questioned about his four greatest teammates of all time.
On the Stick to Football podcast, Larsson went against the desires of those who want to hear about the individual fame and global awards of a particular player by identifying four players he deemed had had the greatest influence on him as a teammate. This ruling outlines how Larsson has placed an emphasis on teamwork, leadership and impact on the dressing room instead of pure star power.
Larsson provided his explanation about the ability to play with the best footballers of various leagues and this made him have a different insight into what a true teammate is. Although Messi and Ronaldo are generally considered two of the best players in the history of football, the choices made by Larsson indicate something other than goals and Ballon d or awards.
The ex-Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United striker had a career full of major trophies including the champions league with Barcelona and United. Having worked in various European leagues that are considered to be the best, he was able to see other forms of leadership and professionalism with his own eyes.
Not surprisingly, the comments made by Larsson immediately spread on social media, and the fans started their discussion about whether it was purposeful to exclude Messi and Ronaldo or it was the matter of personal chemistry and mutual moments in the field.
In a world where individual super stars are the norm, these remarks by Larsson are just reminding the world that football greatness is not always based on pure statistics and numbers, but also trust, influence and the relationship among other teammates.
