Will Barcelona star Messi emulate one-club men Maldini, Giggs and Totti?

By Sports Desk June 30, 2021

Lionel Messi will have the option to bring his long-standing association with Barcelona to an end in a matter of hours.

The 34-year-old's Camp Nou contract is set to expire on July 1, leaving him free to move on from the club where he has spent the entirety of his 17-year professional career thus far.

Fortunately for Barca, that outcome looks unlikely, with recent reports suggesting that the Argentina great is on the verge of agreeing fresh terms.

Should Messi put pen to paper on that extension, it will increase the possibility of him joining the ranks of players who spent their whole careers at just one club. 

Here, we take a look at five of football's most celebrated one-club men.


Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)

Indisputably one of the greatest defenders of all-time, Maldini made his Milan debut as a 16-year-old in 1985 and spent the next quarter of a century at San Siro, winning seven Serie A titles and five Champions Leagues.

Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)

Like Maldini, Giggs progressed from prodigious young talent to distinguished elder statesman as he represented United from 1990 to 2014. Two Champions Leagues and 13 Premier League titles sit among an astonishing 34 honours amassed by Giggs across 963 senior United appearances.

Francesco Totti (Roma)

Totti bid an emotional farewell to Roma at the end of the 2016-17 campaign after 786 competitive appearances and 307 goals – matching Maldini's record of appearing in 25 Serie A seasons.

Carles Puyol (Barcelona)

A long-time team-mate of Messi's and the captain of Pep Guardiola's mesmeric treble winners of 2008-09, Puyol won six LaLiga titles and three Champions Leagues. With 593 appearances for Barcelona to his name, the defender sits fifth on the club's all-time list behind Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and the outright leader Messi on 778.

Matthew Le Tissier (Southampton)

A mercurial forward with a knack for scoring improbably audacious goals, Le Tissier was regularly linked with the leading lights of English football during his 1990s heyday. He remained loyal to boyhood club Southampton to cement icon status on the south coast, although a mere eight appearances for England provides a talking point about what might have been possible had he not resisted offers from bigger clubs. 

Related items

  • Lowe happy to return to Reggae Boyz squad ahead of Concacaf Nations League semi-final Lowe happy to return to Reggae Boyz squad ahead of Concacaf Nations League semi-final

    Reggae Boyz attacker Jamal Lowe is upbeat after his return to the squad ahead of Jamaica’s Concacaf Nations League semi-final against the USA at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas on March 21.

    Lowe, 29, was last apart of the Reggae Boys setup for an international friendly against Jordan on June 19 last year where he was an unused substitute.

    “Feels really good. It’s been a while since I’ve been involved in a camp so it’s nice to be back. It’s a great opportunity for me and for the team to go and create history. That would be amazing,” he said in an interview on Monday.

    Currently on loan at Swansea City from AFC Bournemouth, Lowe was sidelined for a month earlier this season with a knee injury and says that is behind him now.

    “Since I got injured I’ve been trying to get back to full fitness and hopefully I can bring some goals to the team. I’ve watched all the games in the build-up and it’s been unbelievable, the transformation that we’ve gone through. Just want to keep pushing us in the right direction,” Lowe said.

    “Everyone’s working hard towards the same goal. It doesn’t matter who the eleven on the field is, everyone’s pushing towards the same ambition so it’s good,” he added.

    Lowe has scored seven goals and registered two assists in 27 games for Swansea in the EFL Championship so far this season.

    “Swansea’s been good. It’s given me an opportunity to play real minutes and it’s a familiar place. The new manager’s come in and showed trust and belief in me,” he said.

    He has two goals in four appearances for the Reggae Boyz.

    You can watch the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals live on SportsMax on March 21.

     

     

     

     

  • Erin Cuthbert still dreaming of first Champions League trophy with Chelsea Erin Cuthbert still dreaming of first Champions League trophy with Chelsea

    Chelsea forward Erin Cuthbert still finds herself dreaming of a first Champions League trophy despite boss Emma Hayes’ firm reality-rooted approach to the competition.

    The Blues, who face Ajax at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena on Tuesday night in the first of their two-leg last-eight encounter, remain on course to become just the second English side to complete a quadruple – with Arsenal Women having done so in 2007 – when Hayes was a member of the Gunners’ coaching staff.

    The European club title is the one accolade that has so far eluded Hayes, who after winning 15 trophies in charge of Chelsea will depart at the end of the season to take up her new role as head coach of the United States women’s national team.

    Cuthbert said: “It would mean everything to get to the final and to go on and win it. But you know, I’ve been at this club so long, it’s all about a process.

    “I think we’re in the quarter-finals now and it’s two ties that lie ahead. Two tough games against a really tough team who have more than proved themselves at this level.

    “So I think we’re under no illusions, it’s going to be a tough game tomorrow, but of course it’s hard not to dream a little bit.

    “You are a football player, but at the same time I’ve been so well-drilled under Emma that it is very process-oriented.”

    Chelsea have reached a Champions League semi-final four times in their history, coming closest to the title in 2021, when Cuthbert came on as a second-half substitute in the Blues’ 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the final.

    They currently lead the Women’s Super League, level on 40 points but with a goal difference advantage over Manchester City and will play Arsenal in the Conti Cup final later this month before taking on Manchester United in April for a chance to defend their FA Cup title at Wembley the following month.

    Ajax are just the second Dutch side to have reached a last eight after Saestum in 2006/07 and by Monday, had sold 34,200 tickets for Chelsea’s visit, putting the contest on course to be the best-attended women’s game Dutch history.

    Hayes’ side know a thing or two about big crowds, having seen a Chelsea Women record 32,970 visitors at Stamford Bridge on Friday for their 3-1 WSL victory over Arsenal.

    Cuthbert added: “It’s their first time at this point in the competition. We can certainly use our experience as an advantage, (but) I certainly know that if I was in the competition for the first time, I’d be playing without fear.

    “We need to be wary of that as well. They’ve got nothing to lose and we’ve got everything to lose, so we’ll be giving it everything.”

    Despite the lack of a Champions League trophy in her cabinet, Hayes brushed off the suggestion this competition might matter more, saying: “Every game means a lot to me. You can see that just in the league and having a record crowd at Stamford Bridge.

    “I really don’t portion any more emotional response to one competition over the other.

    “I would like to be part of a team that wins as much as possible, so I’m excited to be in this arena, I saw the quality out there, I’m looking forward to the atmosphere.”

  • James does not see Ten Hag staying at Man Utd James does not see Ten Hag staying at Man Utd

    Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is unlikely to retain his position next season, so says David James. 

    The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League table after a mixed campaign, with some calling for Ten Hag to be replaced following a series of underwhelming performances and a group-stage Champions League exit.

    However, United claimed a morale-boosting victory on Sunday when Amad Diallo scored in the 121st minute to snatch a 4-3 win, after extra time, over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

    But with INEOS owner Jim Ratcliffe, whose purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in the club was ratified earlier this year, having taken charge of football operations, James believes Ten Hag will not be part of the hierarchy next year. 

    "I think traditionally with United, the manager's job is solely dependent on qualification in the Champions League," James told Stats Perform.

    "I don't think they're going to qualify for the Champions League. I don't think [he’ll] be there next year on that basis to start with.

    "I hear him talk about good performances when they lose games or good parts in losing matches and I think this doesn't sound like Manchester United.

    "I've got nothing against the person as an individual, of course, but as a manager, I'm not hearing from him what I think I should be hearing about Manchester United, who are one of the biggest clubs in the world. So next season, I don't think he'll be there, as simple as that."

    Ten Hag's side lost 3-1 in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, having held a 1-0 lead going into half-time courtesy of a Marcus Rashford stunner. 

    When asked for his thoughts on that performance, James said: "I watched them. I was at the Manchester derby and it's probably one of the worst games I've seen United play.

    "I know they were leading 1-0 but the last shot in the game was in the 23rd minute. That was a wonderful strike but you would argue a slightly fortuitous strike by Marcus Rashford. They were poor, very, very poor. This isn't what I expect from United.

    "I was doing the commentary and saying – I think it was 60-odd minutes, 65 – how is this still one all? How is this game still a draw? I just couldn't make any sense."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.