“He always called me ‘negro, negro’” - When former Real Madrid star opened up on his clashes with Lionel Messi at Barcelona

Former Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe has slammed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi for his comments against him. He recalled their clashes against each other and claimed that the Argentine called him a "negro" multiple times.

Drenthe has faced Lionel Messi three times, once each with Real Madrid, Hercules, and the Netherlands. He won with Hercules but lost the other two times. However, the Dutch midfielder has claimed that the Argentine legend's tone bothered him during their clashes.

In an interview with Dutch magazine Helden, Drenthe said (h/t GOAL):

"We played against each other a lot, and we always had problems. You know what really bothers me? That tone with which he always called me 'negro, negro'. I understand that it is very common in South America, but we cannot stand it. Mahamadou Diarra, my team-mate at Real, would become furious when Gabriel Heinze and Gonzalo Higuaininitially called him 'negro'. But they soon stopped." "When I played against Barcelona with Hercules, I had the same problems with Messi again. Before the match, he gave me a hand and said, 'Hola negro'. He didn't shake my hand again after the match. I don't think he'll invite me to his birthday party," he added.

Drenthe made 65 senior appearances for Real Madrid in five years, having arrived from Feyenoord in 2007. He retired in November 2023.

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Pep Guardiola likens Erling Haaland's numbers to Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi

Erling Haaland has been in incredible form for Manchester City this season, recording 17 goals and one assist in 13 games across competitions. For reference, the second-highest scorer for the club in all competitions is Jeremy Doku with two goals.

Haaland scored a brace in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth at home in the Premier League on November 2. After the game, Pep Guardiola likened his impact to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, saying:

"This is what it’s like if you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is so big. You see the numbers of that guy? Of course, he’s that level. Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like, ‘I am going to score’. He has that hunger. It’s top. I said how incredibly coachable and manageable he is."

Pep Guardiola, notably, coached Lionel Messi for 219 games at Barcelona. The Argentine recorded 211 goals and 94 assists in that time, winning numerous trophies, including a treble.

Edited by Aditya Singh