What Barça star Leo Messi has understood...

Ernesto Valverde has achieved something that it seemed no one would. He has made it normal for us to see Lionel Messi on the bench. If Messi was available for a game, he knew he would start. And after two Champions League games in which he has not been in the initial lineup, he has waited his turn on the bench with the rest of the substitutes. A small warm up in the second half and an introduction around the hour mark. 

In an interview with TyC this week, Messi confessed that he's realised that he can't play every minute of every game that Baça have throughout a long season. Being on the pitch, even though it's a pain, as he said, is something that he has to do occasionally. It's a pain for us, too, not to be able to enjoy every minute of Messi possible, but he does have to rest when possible. 

Surely the fact we are in a World Cup year has influenced things, but this new Leo Messi that comes on after 60 minutes means that we see, for part of the match, how Barça look without him. It's strange to see the play not passing by his boots. "You see things easily from further away," Messi has said. But if Messi has understood that to play for a long time you can't play all the time, we, too, are going to have to get used to not seeing him always plays for 90 minutes. 

In addition, to be able to look to the bench and see the best player in the world provides a relaxing sensation.