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October 8th , 2024

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"IT?S NOT MY SHIRT; IT BELONGS TO LEO" ? PAULO DYBALA ON WEARING MESSI?S ICONIC NUMBER

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Sports

A month ago



According to a post on X on Friday, September 6, 2024, Paulo Dybala reflected on the experience of wearing Lionel Messi's iconic number 10 shirt for the Argentina national team. Dybala, who has long been regarded as one of Argentina’s most talented players, acknowledged the weight of the responsibility associated with donning the jersey made legendary by Messi.

At Estadio Monumental, Argentina defeated Chile in the seventh match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying round. Despite Lionel Messi's absence, Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, and Paulo Dybala were on the scoresheet as Argentina won 3-0. 

 

"I know it’s not my shirt; we all know it belongs to Leo," Dybala candidly stated. His words reflected both humility and reverence toward the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

While the opportunity to wear the number came with mixed feelings for the Roma forward, Dybala explained that his teammates had encouraged him to embrace it.

"Some of the guys said I should wear it. I wasn’t sure if I should accept it," he admitted, expressing his initial hesitation.

Despite the pressure, Dybala remained determined to honor the legacy of Messi with his own performances.


"I tried to represent it in the best way possible," he added, indicating the pride he felt in taking on such a symbolic role, even if temporarily.

For Dybala, wearing the shirt represented more than just a number; it was "a very nice responsibility."

 

 

Bernardo becomes the latest high-profile name to slam 'absurd' football calendar

Bernardo Silva has slammed the scheduling for top level players while on international duty with Portugal.

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Silva is preparing to play in his sixth match of the season when Portugal take on Scotland on Sunday, though the schedule is only going to pick up with European competition nearing.

In the Champions League this year, teams will play eight matches rather than six in the league phase, while a play-off round prior to the last-16 ties has also been added.

At international level, teams have been competing in the Nations League with three international breaks scheduled before Christmas.

Silva, speaking to Record, opened up on the impact the heavy schedule has had on him as he explained the struggles some top players are facing.

'The schedule is completely crazy,' he began. 'We've just received the news that we only have one day off for the English League Cup game.

'We'll probably play every three days for months. It's been absolutely absurd'. 'In the Champions League, if you don't qualify for the round of 16 you still have to play two more games.

'It's true that the squads are bigger, but I'm not going to say that it's easy. It hasn't been easy. I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we're subjected to is absolutely absurd.'

City will also take part in the new-look Club World Cup this summer, meaning their campaign could finish as late as July 13.

In total, if they were to reach the final game of every competition, Pep Guardiola's side could play 68 matches this campaign, with players also playing internationally.

A number of high-profile names have spoken out about the schedule before, including Jurgen Klopp and Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango.

Silva's club team-mate, Kevin De Bruyne, has also been criticial of the schedule while on international duty with Belgium.

'The problem is that UEFA and FIFA are making extra matches,' he said this week.

He added: 'I think the problem will come when we finish the Club World Cup. We know there will only be three weeks between the Club World Cup final and the first day of the Premier League.

'You have three weeks to take a vacation, and prepare to play another 80 games. We can try to say something, no solution has been found. They don't care. It's money that talks.'

De Bruyne's Belgium will take on Israel and France during the current international break.



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