Lionel Messi has revealed that he now gets taunted by his son who declares to him: “I'm Liverpool” when they play football together.
The Barcelona and Argentina legend is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all-time but his last month's 4-0 drubbing at Anfield in the Champions League semi-final is already haunting him.
A double strike from Messi in the first leg at the Camp Nou following a goal from Reds old boy Luis Suarez had given the Catalan giants a 3-0 lead for the return match but they crumbled on Merseyside in an emotionally-charged atmosphere in front of the Kop.
One-club man Messi, 31, who has netted 603 times for Barca in 687 outings, has three sons – Thiago (born 2012); Mateo (born 2015) and Ciro (born 2018) but reveals that his middle boy is an incredible wind-up merchant who uses Jurgen Klopp's side to goad his own father during family kickabouts.
Messi told TyCSports: “We played at home, and last time, we kicked it about, he would tell me, ‘I’m Liverpool , who beat you. You are Barça, and I’m Liverpool.’”
It doesn't stop there though. The cheeky three-year-old has apparently used a similar trick with the name of Rafa Benitez's old club Valencia who defeated Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final to deny the La Liga champions a domestic double this season.
And despite Messi having steered Barca to some 10 domestic titles; six domestic cups; four Champions Leagues and three FIFA Club World Cups, the contrary youngster is also known to cheer on their bitter rivals.
Messi, who claims to have no idea where the antics come from, added: “He’s watching TV and he screams goal for Real Madrid.
“He does it on purpose against his brother. Everyone watching Madrid, they score, Thiago gets angry, and Mateo goes ‘goaaaal for Madrid!’”