I usually sprint for 20 to 30 metres - occasionally 50 to 60 metres maximum. But no footballer ever sprints a complete 100 metres during a game.
Clearly Bolt would beat me over 100 metres on the track. But on grass, over 30 metres with a ball at my feet? I'm winning that race every time!
All I'm after is a few square metres to be myself. A space where I can continue to profess my creed: take the ball, give it to a team-mate, my team-mate scores. It's called an assist, and it's my way of spreading happiness.
I always like the players to be within 10 to 15 metres of each other. When the attacking players try what I am asking them to do, and it breaks down, there are players close enough to then go and win the ball back and counter press the game.
Fantastic, I am very happy to be the fastest 800 metres runner in the world.
I used to run 800 metres for the school.
I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn't go two metres far from his foot; it's always there. It's impossible to catch him. This talent I didn't see from anyone.
As an adult, I had to accept that I was not a natural distance runner. Anything more than about 400 metres had me gasping and wheezing like a broken accordion.
I grew up in a humble neighbourhood in Argentina called Dock Sud. From my house, about 200 metres away was a football pitch. That's where I spent my childhood. It's a neighbourhood where everybody helped each other because there was a lot of difficulties. There, I grew up happily, because I learned a lot of things.
It will be very nice to meet Jordi Alba. We both play with spee,d and it will be a very challenging mini-game. Who would win in a 100 metres race? I don't know.
