Javier Mascherano: None of this would have been possible without dedication

There are few players who are capable of speaking so eloquently and sincerely as Javier Mascherano. The Argentinian player was interviewed by the Barça Magazine for the February edition and he spoke about a wide range of topics. Some of them were more personal, such as his family, parenthood and the pressure he puts on himself and others were more football related with Barça, Leo Messi and potentially becoming a manager being discussed. The Barça player's strong personality and the clarity of his ideas were on show throughout.  

“I always say that I can’t expect from others what I don’t expect of my myself. I am the first to be demanding on myself so I can ask the others for the same.” Javier Mascherano, who is currently one of Barça’s captains, made clear how high his expectations are of himself and those around him. Moreover, he acknowledged: “I haven’t been successful because of any talent I was born with, I had to fight, work hard and be consistent. Without dedication, everything I have achieved wouldn’t have been possible and I am proud of this.”

As a fellow Argentinian and a teammate with Barça and the national side, Mascherano also spoke about Messi: “He is the only indispensable player, he is unique. We are talking about the best player in the history of the game and this Club.” He added: “I can’t see Leo playing for another team at this level. Barça and Messi are like a marriage that has been happy for a long time and can keep being so. Both sides have benefited.”

“Nobody is indispensable in football, except Messi. He is the best in the history of the game"

In terms of his private life, the Argentinian spoke about how proud he is of his two daughters and his son, who is on the way. The Barça player seems himself as a ‘strange’ person: “I am quite reserved. I can arrive in the changing room and not speak for forty minutes. Nothing is wrong with me, I am just not a talker. I try and remove myself from the bubble that is football.”

On the subject of his professional life Mascherano stated: “The fact I have played for this Club, having moved around a lot, is something I am proud of. I had a longer journey to get here than others did but in the end I achieved my goal, which is to play in the best team in the world.” He went on to say, “it has surpassed my dreams.”

Finally, Barça’s number ‘14’ spoke about his future and the possibility of becoming a manager one day. “I don’t stop and think about it. You could say yes I would like to be a coach and I will probably give it a go. But if I see I am not good enough I’ll stop. It will depend on whether I feel I can pass anything on” he concluded.