Ibai Llanos recently opened up about his relationship with Lionel Messi during an appearance on the show “Paren la Mano.” The well-known streamer and one of the faces of the Kings League, an innovative football league led by Gerard Piqué, shared that he feels “nervous” about messaging Messi. Despite their friendly bond—having been invited to Messi’s farewell dinner at Barcelona and even interviewing him during his PSG unveiling—Ibai admitted that he hesitates to reach out.
“I try not to bother him. I have never sent him a message, even though he follows me on Instagram. I’m afraid to message him. We were lucky to be at the dinner with him thanks to Coscu and Kun (Agüero), and at the presentation, but sometimes, it’s embarrassing depending on who you’re contacting,” he confessed to host Luquita Rodríguez.
When the panel pressed him for a memorable interaction with Messi, he recalled one instance from the World Cup. “I did message him during the Netherlands match when he reacted strongly to [Wout] Weghorst. I told him, ‘Leo, don’t get mad,’ because he posted about needing to be serious sometimes.”
Interestingly, when asked about the most influential celebrity he has met, Ibai didn’t mention Messi. Instead, he quickly said, “Kun Agüero. Within five minutes, he feels like your best friend. I met him when he was still playing, and that was more impactful for me since he was at Manchester City and then moved to Barcelona.”
Growing up a Real Madrid fan, Ibai joked, “I must be the only one in Bilbao who supports Madrid.” Despite the team’s recent success, including their 15th Champions League title and the signing of Kylian Mbappé, he acknowledged the difficult times he had during Messi’s prime at Barcelona.
Shifting to analysis, Ibai praised Spain’s performance in the recent Euro Cup, stating, “It was incredible. I was very surprised by Spain; they were clearly the best team. The Euro Cup had a high level; teams didn’t seem better on paper but proved otherwise. You see players at their clubs and think, ‘England must be amazing.’ France, too. I believe Gareth Southgate and Didier Deschamps are poor coaches.”
He went on to mention that Germany was the only team close to Spain’s level, noting other teams, like Portugal, had potential but didn’t perform as well. He joined the discussion regarding whether the Euro is superior to the South American tournament, where Argentina emerged victorious with Messi as captain. “The Euro has a higher level than the Copa América. However, with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia, the World Cup stands alone. Any team can compete well.”
Lastly, Ibai discussed the differences between the Kings League and traditional football, a topic that has sparked debate, even drawing comments from La Liga president Javier Tebas. “The Kings League is a different sport altogether. It’s an invented game that is compatible with football but extremely different. They aren’t competitors; football is massive. Yes, there are goals and a coach, but I enjoy both formats—one as a participant and the other as a fan,” he concluded.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/deportes/2024/07/23/ibai-llanos-dio-detalles-de-como-es-su-relacion-con-messi-la-unica-vez-que-se-animo-a-escribirle/
