Ex-Liverpool coach Achterberg launches extraordinary four-letter attack on Messi

Long-time Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg has launched an extraordinary four-letter outburst against Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi, accusing him of being a 'diving c***'.

Achterberg was one of Jurgen Klopp's most trusted members of the backroom staff and led the goalkeeper sessions even before the German was put in charge, being appointed back in 2011.

He was on the sideline for Liverpool’s famous 2018-19 Champions League semi-final games against Barcelona when Lionel Messi was the Reds’ biggest threat during both sets of 90 minutes.

In the first leg, Barcelona won 3-0 at Camp Nou with Messi scoring twice. His second goal of the evening, with just nine minutes to go, came after the No.10 bundled into Fabinho and earned a cheap free kick.

Asked to pick between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on The Football Historian Podcast Achterberg said: “Messi is more something I like because he can do something magic and Ronaldo is obviously an unbelievable striker as well so it's it's just personal opinion.”

The now Al-Ettifaq coach was then asked who he would pick if it came down to it and referenced those 2019 fixtures: “I would go for Messi," he said. "Because I like this kind of crazy magic but when we played him I thought he was a diving c***.

“That's true and I think he has sometimes the wrong arrogance a little bit so, I don't like that. I like these football skills but when we played him he was f***ing diving. Get the free kick and then scored.”

Liverpool did go onto get the better of Messi in the second leg in the most dramatic of circumstances, thanks to the two goals each from Gini Wijnaldum and Divock Origi, overturning the first-leg deficit in one of Anfield's most famous nights.

That night was particularly pleasing to Achterberg, who enjoyed watching Andy Robertson roughing up the 2022 World Cup winner.

“I liked it when we played him and Robbo (Robertson) smashed him so I thought: 'F***ing do him, c***!'", he said.

Alisson to stay at Liverpool says Achterberg

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was heroic in the semi-final second leg as well as the final against Tottenham in Madrid. He made eight saves during the 90 minutes to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

The Brazilian number one has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer with Saudi clubs supposedly interested but Achterberg also revealed why he is more likely to stay at Liverpool amid the coaching shake-up taking place under Arne Slot.

It looks like some Saudi Arabian clubs have started to look at different Brazilian goalkeepers as Al-Nassr have already signed their new man between the sticks whilst Al-Ittihad are interested in Ederson.