In August 2019, after Fati made his debut aged 16, Messi posted a photo of them sharing an embrace and it received more than six million likes on Instagram.
On the pitch, they each thrived on the other’s feathered touches and quickness of thought, while off the pitch, Messi’s brother Rodrigo was Fati’s agent before Fati hired Jorge Mendes. “When I see this sort of thing in a young player, I take them very seriously.”īefore Messi departed for Paris Saint-Germain, he promoted Fati's rise. “He has a surprising maturity, the ability to mix moments of explosiveness with moments of calm,” said former Real Madrid player and manager Jorge Valdano. He shoots quickly, catching goalkeepers and defenders off guard before they have a chance to get set. He can dart between opponents or surge round them. Koeman knows it, after resisting the temptation to play him from the start against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, despite Barca realistically needing to win to avoid being knocked out in the Champions League group stage.Įven on the bench, Fati was influential, his warming-up on the side enough to send a jolt of electricity around Camp Nou, with Gerard Pique scoring the only goal of the game minutes later.Īfter 11 months out with a knee injury, Fati is being preserved by Koeman like the precious jewel he is, held back even as the club is desperate to see him run.įati runs fast and slow, like Messi, a master of the change of pace.
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