‘I saw Leo Cry’

With the impending tie in the round of 16 between FC Barcelona and Chelsea set to take place on February 21, Manchester United’s new signing and Lionel Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Alexis Sanchez revealed details about how emotional things got in the Barcelona dressing room after being knocked out by Chelsea in the semifinal stage of the 2012 UEFA Champions League.

The last time the two sides faced off was in that crucial semifinal where Guardiola’s Barca were the favourites to oust Chelsea and go on to play in the final. Chelsea won the first leg at Stamford Bridge thanks to cynical finishing from Barcelona forwards and they scored their only goal after Lionel Messi himself lost the ball near the centre circle.

Barcelona however came back strongly at home and went two goals up inside the first half. 10-man Chelsea then managed to score right at the end of the first half to put Chelsea ahead on away goals. Messi, who was phenomenal as usual missed a vital penalty in that game and Fernando Torres scored at the death to help the English team to a 2-2 draw and oust Barca.

After all this time, Alexis Sanchez has revealed that Barca’s star man was in tears following the game. The forward suggest that players demand a lot off themselves as well and people sometimes do not understand that since they often focus on the money the players make from football.

Lionel Messi after the defeat to Chelsea. Photo: AFP File

"I think football saves many people," Sanchez told Sky Sports.  "It can give you a life of luxury, but people don't see all the effort that goes in behind the scenes.

"That might mean not seeing your family, or missing your mother's birthday, many players are so focused that they miss the birth of their children.

"You might cry during a game if you lose a final. That's all part of football. In the Barcelona dressing room after the Chelsea game, I saw Leo cry. That's because players demand so much from themselves. People don't see that,” the Manchester United forward revealed.