Unexpectedly, Virgil van Dijk, who became a rival of Lionel Messi in individual award ceremonies, received nice feedback from the Argentine himself.
L. Messi clashed with V. van Dijk on the field last season, when "Liverpool" sensationally eliminated "Barça" from the Champions League. The center-back was named the best UEFA player this year, but L. Messi outvoted him in the FIFA rankings.
In an interview with the newspaper "Marca," the Argentine referred to V. van Dijk as an exceptional defender.
"He is a defender who only battles with an attacking player when he assesses the time and situation well," - said L. Messi.
"Van Dijk is a big guy, but that doesn't stop him from being quick and agile. He is fast because of his long strides. He looks great both in defense and offense, where he often scores goals," - praised his rival the attacker of "Barcelona."
