Former Barcelona star Jeremy Mathieu jokes he took free kicks better than Lionel Messi

"I think I was better at free kicks than Lionel Messi, the French defender said with a grin during a recent interview. Surely, he was joking. Messi is one of the best free kick takers ever, and on the historical list for most free-kick goals ever scored by anyone. But the former defender wasn't exactly bad at them, either. He recalled memories of his own strike against Elche in the 2015 Copa del Rey, a thunderbolt from outside the box that helped Barcelona lift their 27th trophy in the competition."

"The Asturian told him, I love how you play. If I'm the coach, I want you on the team, Mathieu recalled. He kept his skepticism. I didn't want to say 'wait, because for now you're not Barcelona's coach.' I thought: 'let's see if he's selling a dream.' Luis Enrique did get that job, of course. And Valencia's refusal to match Barcelona's offer of an extra 200,000 euros in salary tipped the balance."

"Mathieu's first season at Barcelona was magical. He was a key piece in the squad that won the treble, notably scoring a goal against Real Madrid in a 2-1 El Clásico win at the Camp Nou. After three seasons, Barcelona was behind him, and he went to Sporting CP. A knee injury in 2020 ended his professional career."

Jérémy Mathieu, a French defender who gained prominence at Valencia as a left-back, made a surprising move to Barcelona at age 30 despite concerns about reduced playing time. Luis Enrique personally recruited him before taking the Barcelona coaching position, convincing Mathieu to make the transfer when Valencia refused to match Barcelona's salary offer of an additional 200,000 euros. Mathieu's first season proved transformative, as he became a key contributor to Barcelona's treble-winning campaign, including scoring against Real Madrid in an El Clásico victory. After three seasons with Barcelona, he transferred to Sporting CP, where a knee injury in 2020 ultimately ended his professional career.

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