‘Jose Mourinho’s tactics spoke volumes about Lionel Messi – I apologised for them'

Angel Di Maria has apologised to Lionel Messi for his rough treatment during a cup final while playing under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. The 2011 Copa Del Rey final saw Di Maria and Mourinho’s Los Blancos go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Barcelona had just secured three consecutive La Liga titles, consistently outperforming Real. They were also set to compete in the Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley the following month, a match they would ultimately win, adding to their 2009 victory.

So, how did the ‘Special One’ plan to overcome their formidable rivals, led by the seemingly unstoppable Messi? Their strategy involved getting physical with the Argentinian maestro, a tactic Di Maria later apologised for, but one that proved highly effective.

“The only way to beat that Barcelona was by hitting, putting in more effort and running more than them,” Di Maria, who retired from international football this year, told Clank Media. “And that somehow led to them getting into fights on the field. At times I was afraid they would injure ‘Enano’ (Messi), I was more worried about him than anything else.”

Mourinho, aware he couldn’t outplay Guardiola and Messi on the pitch, instructed his players to harshly tackle the star at every opportunity. He also assigned two men to each of Barcelona’s other key players, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and David Villa, reports the Mirror.

“The match at Mestalla was very tough; that final was kick after kick. At one point I had to kick Leo because he was getting away from us on a counterattack,” Di Maria continued.

“I lifted him up and said ‘sorry Enano (Messi), but if I didn’t stop you, they could score on us.’ I had no other option. It was playing that way; it was impossible to stop.”

Di Maria’s revelation lays bare the lengths to which players and managers would go to contain Messi, often resorting to fouls as a last resort with risk of him scoring of creating a goal. The game in question saw eight yellow cards and eventually spilled into extra time.

Di Maria’s aggression eventually caught up with him, earning a red card in the final moments for a second yellow offence, while Ronaldo emerged as the hero, clinching victory with a 103rd-minute header. Despite the fierce rivalry on the pitch, the camaraderie between Di Maria and Messi remains untarnished.

While Di Maria played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu, it is his compatriot Messi – presently mesmerising the crowds over at Inter Miami – he hails as the pinnacle of footballing excellence. “For me, Messi and Cristiano are the two best players in history,” Di Maria concluded. “But, it is obvious that Leo has no comparison to any other player.”