Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how his former Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi “never goes in the middle” of rondos during training sessions.
The rondo is a training drill in which a group of players in close proximity pass the ball to each other, while a teammate will go into the middle of the group and attempt to intercept the pass and win the ball back. Whoever loses possession has to go into the middle.
Coaches believe the exercise improves player’s decision-making, coordination, team play, creativity, competitiveness, and physical conditioning. Pochettino – who also suggested that Kylian Mbappe wanted to leave the club last year to join Real Madrid – was in favour of them at PSG.
