Ter Stegen's surprising farewell message to Leo Messi

Marc-André Ter Stegen has always called things as he sees them. He has been highly critical of Barcelona's playing style when he felt it was not up to scratch, particularly during his first seasons at the club. The goalkeeper has bid farewell to club captain Leo Messi on his official Instagram account, praising and thanking the player for his years of service but also suggesting that they may have had their disagreements over the years:

"Leo, it's been a pleasure to play alongside you for all these years, sharing many happy times together in the form of moments and titles.

While we didn't always agree on everything, we both wanted what was best for the team and managed to grow as individuals, regardless of the result. Thanks for that!

You made history with the club of your life, and you'll go down in history as a true legend of football. Something that no other player will ever get close to. You changed football.

I wish you and your family the very best for whatever lies ahead.

A big hug from Dani and Ben, too".