Lionel Messi did not even glance at his inquisitors.
Barcelona’s captain, the world’s greatest player, wore a look of utter disbelief as he was ushered through the Anfield mixed zone. No questions, no words, no eye contact.
Who could blame him?
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This was supposed to be Messi’s year, the year he led his team back to the top of the European tree. Four years without a Champions League final is a lifetime for a club like Barca, for a player like Messi. This was to be the year. It had to be.