Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has explained why playing alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez was an extraordinary experience, revealing that the club’s legendary attacking trio made football easier for their teammates.
Umiti joined the Catalan club from Olympique Lyon in 2016 and quickly established himself as a key figure under Luis Enrique.
He made more than 100 appearances for the Blaugrana, winning two La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey trophies, but persistent knee problems eventually derailed his progress.
Despite the difficult final years of his Barcelona career, Umtiti retains fond memories of his time at the club.
Speaking in an interview with France Inter (h/t SPORT), the former French international reflected on the experience of sharing a dressing room with some of football’s greatest players.
“I spent some wonderful years here (in Barcelona) – six or seven years – and I felt really good.
“The standard of living is top-notch for a player and also for me, someone who no longer plays football,” explained the former Barça centre-back.
Umtiti explains what made ‘MSN’ difficult to play against
Barcelona’s attacking partnership of Messi, Neymar and Suarez became one of the defining features of the club’s most memorable modern teams.
Umtiti has explained what made Barcelona’s iconic MSN trio so special. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
For Umtiti, however, their influence extended beyond the goals and individual brilliance that made them famous.
“Phew, it was extraordinary, to be honest. People often say it’s difficult to play with the best.
“On the contrary, they make your job easier. It was easy to play with them,” he explained.
The Frenchman pointed to their footballing intelligence and ability to understand situations before they developed as the qualities that benefited the entire team.
Their movement created passing options and allowed teammates to make decisions with greater confidence.
“I think you’re better when you play with Messi, Neymar and Suarez, because they’re so good.
“I always talk about footballing intelligence, positioning and the way they interpret what’s happening on the pitch,” he pointed out.
MSN and Iniesta made Barcelona special
Umtiti has nothing but praise for Messi, Neymar and Suarez. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Umtiti also recalled playing alongside Andres Iniesta, highlighting the technical quality, positioning and tactical understanding that characterised Barcelona during that period.
“When you need to find a pass, they know exactly where to position themselves and when.
“I also played alongside Iniesta in midfield and, for me, those were incredible moments, because that’s what football really is to me: technique, tactical intelligence, positioning and effortless control.
“Barcelona had all of that, and when you had the front three in their element, it was incredible. They were out of this world, but they got on really well both off the pitch and on it,” he explained.
Apart from their individual abilities, the three forwards also understood the importance of sharing success.
Umtiti recalled how they would look to create scoring opportunities for one another, even when some of them had already found the net.
“If two of them had scored, you’d see that for the third goal they’d do everything possible to set up the third scorer,” he concluded.