Felipe Melo Discusses Tactically Fouling 'Incredible' Lionel Messi, More

Former Juventus, Inter Milan and Galatasaray midfielder Felipe Melo has revealed he and his Brazilian team-mates agreed to take turns tactically fouling Lionel Messi whenever they faced the "incredible" Argentinian forward.

Melo discussed the Barcelona man in an interview with Clarin (h/t ), saying he rates him higher than Cristiano Ronaldo because he's a more complete footballer:

" He's a unique player. When Brazil played against him we used to say 'we have to kick him once each, we have to rotate.' If we didn't, it was too difficult to mark him. We didn't want to break him, just to cut his rhythm and to disturb him―it was tactical.

The journeyman footballer also discussed the differences in referees, saying British officials are less easily influenced by the crowd than Spanish: "In England if you kick someone the fans say 'ooooh,' but the referee doesn't change his mind. But the same kick in Spain gets you sent off."

Melo was a member of the Brazilian team that competed at the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup. He is perhaps best remembered for the quarter-final loss against the Netherlands in the latter tournament, diverting a Wesley Sneijder cross into his own net and getting sent off for a stamp on Arjen Robben:

While he never played another international match for Brazil, he had been a regular part of the team until then.

Messi and Ronaldo have been the biggest, most productive stars in the sport for years, dominating the top scorer's charts domestically and in Europe. The Argentinian leads the way once again in La Liga with 19 goals, playing a huge role in the Catalans' run to the top of the table.

He has also provided a league-leading 12 assists, further underlining his importance:

His tremendous success hasn't carried over to the national team, however, where some of his compatriots haven't provided him with the same kind of support. The 32-year-old hasn't won a trophy with Argentina since the 2008 Summer Olympics, when he was a member of the under-23 side that took the gold medal.

He came close in 2014, when Argentina made the final at the World Cup in Brazil but lost to Germany. The Albiceleste also made the final of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, twice losing to Chile on penalties.

Melo is still playing in his native Brazil after joining Palmeiras in 2017. The 36-year-old has also played for the likes of Flamengo, Cruzeiro and Gremio, and had multiple stops in Spain and Italy, as well as his stint with Galatasaray.