SANTO ANDRE, Brazil: Germany have a secret plan to shut Argentina superstar Lionel Messi out of Sunday’s World Cup final at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana Stadium. Assistant coach Hansi Flick said Thursday there is a “special plan” to cope with the four-time Ballon d’Or winner but refused to give details.
Messi had a relatively quiet match against the Netherlands as Wednesday’s semifinal was settled by penalties.
The 27-year-old was often greeted by two Oranje shirts and the Germans are also getting organized.
“We saw how the Dutch managed to keep Messi out, but we too have a special plan for him – although I won’t give that away,” Flick said.
“We’re looking forward to meeting a compact, organized team and in Messi, they have one of the outstanding players of the tournament.........Read more
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