Messi 'best player ever' but we have a chance, says Klopp ahead of UCL tie

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that Barcelona great Lionel Messi is the best out of the players he has seen in his career but his side have a chance against the Spanish giants in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday.

Klopp also referred to the English Premier League where the second-placed Liverpool are in a close contest with their rivals Manchester City for the league title.

On the eve of the UCL clash, Klopp said, "Messi would be for me – as a player I saw – the number one, 100 per cent, that's me."

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"Cristiano Ronaldo is for sure in that as well and all the rest we have to see. I saw… I have coached a few really good players, but they didn't finish their careers so we have to… they still have time to develop."

"My father always said it's Pele, but I didn't see Pele live – I am too young for that. But there are lot of good players around, but that's my ranking – Leo (Messi) is, for me, the best," he added.

Back in August Messi, in his first public address as Barcelona captain, told a packed stadium before a friendly against Boca Juniors he and the players had made it their ambition to win the trophy for the sixth time.

"We promise that this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Camp Nou,"Messi to the Barca fans.

But Klopp said that it's not only about Messi, but there are also other 10 game changers as well.

"It's not only about Messi but of course it's about him as well,"Kloppsaid.

"Can we concentrate on Messi? We should in a lot of moments but if we only concentrate on him there are 10 other world-class players who can decide the game as well.

"Messi said before the season, 'we want to bring back that cup'. That sounds like a threat to me. Now we did it, now we are here and all I can say is we want to go to the final as well," Klopp added.