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15th Apr 2015

You’d be surprised to know Lionel Messi’s favourite stadium in Europe

"It is the best atmosphere in Europe and we all want to experience that again.”

Tony Cuddihy

Lionel Messi hopes to face Celtic once again in the Champions League.

The Barcelona forward, one of the best players in the history of the game, has his pick of favourite stadia across the globe but says that the home of Glasgow Celtic has an atmosphere like no other.

Messi has a Celtic home shirt at home as a souvenir from two clashes against the Scottish Premiership champions.

He has scored three times against the Bhoys but suffered defeat at Parkhead in November 2012.

“The games against Celtic were special and I want to remember them,” Messi said in the run-up to Barcelona’s quarter-final, first leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain in France this evening.

“Celtic Park is a tough place to go to. It’s never easy to get a result there.

Celtic v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League

“We know we would get a tough game if we drew them in the Champions League, but everybody involved in those Barcelona v Celtic games wants to go and play there again. It is the best atmosphere in Europe and we all want to experience that again.”

Messi paid a special tribute to Fraser Forster, now with Southampton, calling his performance in that 2-1 win for Celtic the best goalkeeping performance he had ever seen.

Celtic v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League

“The performances of Fraser Forster against us were talked about for a long time,” he told the Daily Record.

“There was one game in Scotland where he was not human – it is the best goalkeeping performance I have seen. When Victor Valdes said he was leaving, we even talked about him playing here.”