Comparisons with Messi? In Argentina they say Benfica’s young star is ready | OneFootball

Sebastian Pait and Ricardo Gareca have high praise for Gianluca Prestianni, but refuse comparisons with Leo Messi, the star of the Argentine National Team. The former coordinator of the youth teams at Velez Sarfield and the last coach of the winger at Benfica in the land of the pampas, respectively, spoke to the newspaper Record about the player's rise.

"He should not be pointed out as a replacement for Messi, just because of this circumstance. There is no comparison between what Messi offers or who Messi is and where Prestianni stands," Gareca began to explain, whose last job was with the Chilean National Team.

The Argentine coach, who worked with Prestianni, continued: "Prestianni has completely different characteristics from Messi: he is a kid who is just starting out and Messi is the best player in the world, possibly even considered the best in history."

"He has shown he is prepared and the wish of everyone who knows him is that he achieves his next goals. May it be the first of many games in the main team and may he stand out. He has the potential for that," added Sebastian Pait, who also knows the Argentine winger well.

"Messi, for us, is the ultimate idol. Everything Prestianni can share with him will naturally stimulate him. It will motivate him for what lies ahead," Pait concluded. Gareca, for his part, agrees with this opinion: "Even in the youth ranks, he was a great talent, as seen in the recent U-20 World Cup. He has all the characteristics of a game-changer and to demonstrate it in the national team. Hopefully, he can do it."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.