Todibo reveals the 'rule' they had at Barcelona with Messi: They wouldn't let us touch him in training

After a spell at Barcelona, where he made just five appearances, Jean Clear Todibo has become the leader of one of the best defences in Europe at the moment.

Nice have conceded just four goals in Ligue 1 and have gone more than two months without conceding a goal. It’s a run of form that has seen Todibo, who has been valued at 30 million euros, as a major asset. Barcelona signed him in 2019 for just one million.

In an interview for the Ligue 1 Show, the Frenchman recalled a curious tale from his time at the club. “At Barcelona, we weren’t allowed to touch Leo Messi in training. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. We had to be careful,” explained the defender. It was a ‘rule’ that was more than understandable for Todibo. “It’s normal, he’s the best, you don’t want to hurt him,” he said.

The Frenchman joined the Catalan side at a very young age as one of the biggest prospects of European football. However, his two years in Spain were not fruitful, playing only five games. After that, he tried out loan spells at Schalke and Benfica until he ended up at Nice, where he has settled, even attracting the interest of big teams such as Manchester United.

Farioli’s side conceded half of their goals in just one game, the 3-2 defeat to PSG, and have established themselves as one of the hardest defences to break down. “It’s not just because we defend well, I think it’s also because we attack in a way that gives us a lot of control,” explains Todibo, who seems to have found his ideal place to fulfil his potential.