MSN a better trio than selfish BBC – Sampaoli

Jorge Sampaoli believes Barcelona’s attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are better than the trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.

The Barca forwards have scored 67 goals between them in all competitions this term, while their counterparts at the Santiago Bernabeu have managed 60.

Sampaoli highlighted the relationship between the individuals within the ‘MSN’ line-up as the factor that puts them a level above the more individualistic ‘BBC’.

The Chile coach’s praise of the Camp Nou team-mates was so high he playfully suggested FIFA should consider banning them.

“FIFA must intervene. The friendship between Leo, Neymar and Suarez is the worst thing that has happened to football,” Sampaoli joked in an interview with El Pais.

“Leo alone can win a game. If, in addition, he empowers Suarez and Neymar, that is invaluable. They should ban it.

“The difference with Madrid is that Bale, Ronaldo and Benzema, their trident, do not enhance each other but are neutralised.

“If Ronaldo starts a move it ends with him, if Bale does it’s the same. Benzema grabs what he can but does not create anything.”

Sampaoli guided Chile to their first international trophy with victory at last year’s Copa America and earned a nomination for the FIFA Coach of the Year award for 2015, though Barca boss Luis Enrique was picked as the winner.

It was the work of the third nominee for the accolade – Pep Guardiola – who the 55-year-old praised, however, when discussing the influence the Spaniard and former Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa have had on his coaching philosophy.

“[Guardiola] is a revolutionary who trying to install his philosophy anywhere, even in Germany which is unusual. That is Pep’s great triumph – he is not afraid of anything,” he added.

“[Guardiola and Bielsa] are the two best in the world because they make the players believe in them. They have different ideas: one is a commitment to vertical and direct play and the other starves you of possession, but both are focused on attack. I have teachings of both.”