After breaking his record, Klose reveals the behind-the-scenes of his call with Messi
German legend Miroslav Klose has opened up about the phone conversation he had with Lionel Messi after the Argentine captain surpassed him to become the World Cup's all-time top scorer.
Klose recounts his emotional exchange with L. Messi
In comments relayed by the official Bundesliga website, the former German international explained that this conversation was set up at the initiative of Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni, his former teammate at Lazio.
"Scaloni has remained a very close friend. He was the one who organized the call between Messi and me, right after he matched my record. It was an extremely emotional moment," Klose revealed.
The ex-striker then spoke about the relationship of mutual respect he shares with the Argentine star: "We faced each other several times when I played for Werder Bremen and Messi wore the colors of FC Barcelona. Our encounters were always marked by deep mutual respect. However, this was the first time we had such a long conversation off the pitch."
Klose also shared the gesture Lionel Messi promised him at the end of their conversation: "He told me he would send me a signed jersey. That really touched me," he said.
The former Mannschaft striker did not hide his immense admiration for the Argentine world champion: "For me, Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the history of football. I congratulate him for this fully deserved achievement."
In conclusion, Klose insisted he felt no bitterness after losing his record: "I knew that sooner or later, this record would be broken. I am very happy that it was Messi who managed to do it, as I have always been, and still am, one of his greatest admirers."
As a reminder, Lionel Messi has erased Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals to become the top scorer in World Cup history with a total of 21 goals, including eight scored in the current edition of the tournament.
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