I have the advantage of having worked with Messi and Mascherano at Barcelona.
Gerardo Martino
I didn't make any mark on Barcelona. It was a blip in my career in terms of what I did as a coach.
Messi's start to 2015 has been unrivalled. His efficiency in front of goal and the amount of goals he has scored cannot be bettered.
When you have the chance to finish off your opponent, you must do it. You shouldn't give them chances to come back.
All I learned in Barcelona was about being surrounded by stars, by the best in the world.
There some players who show what they can do over 90 minutes and others who demonstrate it in 15.
There are no words to describe Leo. He continues to break records every time one is put in front of him.
At the beginning of my career, I wasn't coaching players like Messi.
The team evolves over time, and players need replacing.
Neymar is an exceptional player.
Despite being the greatest, Messi is an ordinary guy. He speaks like a normal guy, he acts like a normal guy. As a normal person, he has family, day-to-day problems in his life, friends and family, the usual.
I think when a new manager who has a specific way of playing comes to any league, he doesn't think about adapting but rather looks for ways to slowly implement his style so it can be developed for years to come.
A lot of times, when you work at the top level, you feel like your part really isn't as important; you don't feel as involved in the growth.
I always said in my career as a footballer, I owe everything to Newell's. But as a coach, I owe everything to Paraguay.
If Messi is in the mix, that's who I want to win.
It's very special to be the coach of the best player in the world.
Probably the Liga MX or the American league, there are a higher number of competitive games than in the Spanish league or the English league.
If you analyze the German league, the Spanish league, the Italian league, there are two or three teams that stand out above the rest, and the other teams have a regular level.
I just want to say that aside from Atlanta United, any national team gives you a little bit more free time. I don't want to get completely into the analysis. There are different responsibilities compared to clubs and national team.
It's very important to have a good group of people that get along well, where the people come in to work and do it in a happy way, that they enjoy being at the club.
I've seen teams where there are bad relationships in the locker room, but they can leave that aside and win on the field. For me, I'm not satisfied with any part of that.
Am I afraid of Madrid's violent play? No, every team plays according to their possibilities, and there's a referee who should judge.
What Barcelona almost always do is play a good game, but we don't always win.
I'm very demanding of myself.
Teams always have natural leaders on the pitch and natural leaders in footballing terms.
If I get a lucky win, it is difficult to sustain that over time, so we have to maintain a style.
Argentina against Brazil is the most important derby between national teams.
I really do not care that Messi isn't scoring every match. Leo always produces match-changing moments.
We should never have to do whatever Messi says. I did not pay attention to him, not even in the national team. But that is the myth that has been formed. But it is not just me: a lot of people have said it, but of course you won't believe it from me... It is not me who is denying it. The facts deny it.
That is the problem we have in Argentina: we do not sit down and think.
My happiest time was with Paraguay. Those were five years in which I managed to find happiness.
It is hard to enjoy life in a national team.
Messi's career is a cinema script.
Messi never wants to be subbed off, but it's my task to take care of him.
I made some monumental mistakes with Barcelona.
Everyone wants to finish a project they start, but in the world of football, you cannot guarantee anything.
The national team requires a work commitment but also a personal one as well. To lead your country is something very different.
I was surprised by how little they knew about me at Barcelona. You can accept that from a supermarket cashier - but not from someone who works in football.
I would never risk speaking ill of Messi.
When we are operating in tight spaces and when the opposition are closing us down, players like Messi can help us to create openings.
Sometimes, it is logical that by analysing a player, one thinks it is better to play him in one place or another, but then, if he is good, you can be more flexible.
It doesn't affect my authority if I change my stance on something. If I have to reconsider a decision, I will.
I do not like to avoid responsibilities and feel that I am responsible.
If I have learned anything from my coaches, it's that the next game is the most important. The next game is the one that gives you confidence or gets you into trouble.
We want to play beautiful football; we are committed to that.
I will always vote for Messi for Golden Ball.
Messi will continue to break records.
It is a pleasure to see Leo, an Argentine, as the top scorer in the Champions League.
I think it's very important to have contact with the players that I will coach.
I don't have any doubts about how to play at the Bernabeu.
