Barcelona will host Bayern Munich in their Champions League group stage opener, which is scheduled for September 14, and Julian Nagelsmann believes that the Blaugrana will be a different team without Lionel Messi.
The Bayern Munich coach has explained that certain players will be liberated by their newfound freedom to roam in areas previously occupied by the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
“A great player has left, one who put his stamp on the club for years,” said Nagelsmann. “[Messi] had a lot of influence on and off the pitch, also in the dressing room.
“He also made organisational decisions, which makes me think that there are players who will now be a bit more liberated, filling the position he occupied.
“He is a world class player who knows how to decide matches by himself. Any team is better with Messi than without Messi.”
Nagelsmann was full of praise for the city of Barcelona and the team’s ground as he is counting the days until the game with Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
“We are looking forward to facing Barcelona next week,” Nagelsmann added.
“We will play in a wonderful city and at a great stadium. Two teams with an incredible tradition and great fans will face each other.”
