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The best way to stop Messi is when you play with 11 men and then you can double mark him, one player to stay on him and the other to help out. If it is 11 against 10 then you have almost no chance of stopping him.
Jose Mourinho
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Interpretation

What this quote means

To effectively counter a great player like Messi, you need to have equal numbers on the field and use strategic marking.

In this quote, Jose Mourinho emphasizes the importance of having a fair matchup in sports, particularly in soccer. He suggests that to limit the effectiveness of an extraordinary player like Lionel Messi, teams must have equal players on the field and employ strategies like double marking to contain him. When one team is outnumbered, it greatly diminishes their chances of success against a formidable opponent, highlighting the dynamics of competition and strategy in sports.

Themes

MessiSportsStrategySoccerCompetition

In practice

Example use cases

A coach might quote Mourinho when discussing strategies for an upcoming match against a strong opponent.

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Once, players came to football expecting to be wealthy when they retired. Now, they expect to be wealthy before they've played their first game!
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I would rather play with 10 men than wait for a player who is late for the bus.
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