A former FC Barcelona star has revealed that Lionel Messi would sometimes vomit ahead of games due to the pressure he felt.
Former Netherlands midfielder Ibrahim Afellay has opened up about the stress that comes with wearing the famous Blaugrana shirt, telling Studio Europa that the tension among the players was so intense even Messi was not immune to it.
"Of course, I was able to experience it up close: with Messi, the pressure was so great that he often – just before we went outside [ahead of kick-offs] – vomited in the toilet," he said. "And you sometimes saw it in the game, just before kick-off."
"This man achieved everything in life that you can achieve. There will never be a player like him again, I think.
"If such a person, who has nothing to prove to anyone, still experiences that pressure... That wants to say something, I think."
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The former Barca star also said he often forced himself to eat despite how he was feeling ahead of matches, and that the atmosphere in the dressing room was so intense he would often wonder if someone's family member had died.
"I had quite a lot of trouble with the sports meals, to get that down my throat. Very difficult, but I forced myself to eat that," Afellay added.
"Other guys are a bit busier the day before the game. And in the dressing room, just before the game, you think: has someone in his family died or something?"
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