Lionel Messi once admitted that Barcelona stars `hate` a Premier League club more than their great rival Real Madrid – a statement he never thought he would say.

La Pulga was only 18 years old when she decided to tell this shocking news.

In this match, Chelsea had an impressive comeback at Stamford Bridge.

The clash after two matches left a bad aftertaste for Barcelona players.

There was a time when Barca stars hated Chelsea more than Real Madrid.

`There are players in Barcelona who hate Chelsea even more than Real Madrid,` Messi said.

`I never thought I’d hear myself say that. I also never thought I’d see something worse than Boca vs River Plate or Brazil vs Argentina – but it was

Despite being tackled by Chelsea defender Asier Del Horno and fouled multiple times, Messi continued to produce an excellent performance for the Catalan team in the match against the Blues that year.

Barcelona finally lifted the Champions League title in 2006, after Juliano Belletti scored a 2-1 win for Barcelona at the Stade de France against Arsenal.

The Chelsea – Barca match was once a controversial battle.

However, luck did not repeat for Messi and his teammates, when they once again faced Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League. Alexis Sanchez once revealed that Lionel Messi cried a lot after that defeat.

Messi was the one who missed a penalty kick when Chelsea had only 10 people on the field in the semi-final second leg that year.

The Argentine superstar considers Barcelona’s defeat in the 2012 Champions League against Chelsea as one of his biggest regrets in the club shirt.

Messi regrets after missing a penalty kick, UCL semi-final in 2012. Photo: Getty Images.

“I wish I had tried to win another Champions League,” he said in 2021, announcing his decision to leave his boyhood club.

“We were eliminated in the semi-finals by Liverpool, which prevented us from playing in the 2019 final. Or before that,  under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, we reached the semi-finals against Chelsea,