The shirt number 10 has a very special meaning at FC Barcelona and the Camp Nou. Diego Maradona wore them, Eusebio wore them, Rivaldo, Riquelme and Ronaldinho wore them. And most recently for almost twelve years, of course, Lionel Messi. The Argentine, who joined Barca as a child and tearfully moved on to Paris St. Germain last summer, is considered a saint in the city and at the club. The long “Meeeeessi Meeeeessi Meeeeessi” calls echo to this day. The shirt with his name is still the bestseller in the fan shop.
However, as of Thursday night, there is a new member in the list of great players with the number 10 shirt at the Camp Nou: Filip Kostic from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Serb, who could not be compared to Messi in terms of playing style, was on fire in the 3-2 victory of Hessen in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League but a performance on the pitch that even the Catalan audience has probably not seen for so long. Kostic was everywhere. And always there.
A Kostic goal from the Kostic brand
In the 4th minute he converted a penalty kick for an early lead, in the second half he made it 3-0 and decided with a typical Kostic goal. The Serb entered Barca’s penalty area at full speed from the left and then threw the ball low into the far corner. Inimitable, unstoppable and above all unstoppable for national goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. “It’s no surprise that Filip is prolific from this position,” coach Oliver Glasner summed up this Kostic goal from the Kostic brand.
On the other hand, what was a bit surprising was that Kostic, who is unstoppable on the way forward but sometimes forgets to reverse gear, did not let anything burn on the defensive against Barca either. Together with Evan N’Dicka and the equally hard-working Daichi Kamada, he repeatedly threw himself into duels against Ousmane Dembélé or later Adama Touré and defended his own goal with the same intensity with which he attacked the opposing goal. Always full throttle, always with full commitment. A game like this against Barca doesn’t happen every day.
Special greeting towards Messi
And it is precisely these games that Kostic, undoubtedly the best footballer in the ranks of Eintracht, is passionate about. Last summer, the 29-year-old wanted to break away from the Hessians with a strange strike and switch to Lazio Rome on the slightly larger football stage. Almost eight months later, in the Eintracht jersey, he experienced what was probably the most important game of his career in front of what was probably the most impressive backdrop ever. 25,000 Frankfurt fans in the stadiumKostic in top form.
After the game, the Serb himself provided the crowning glory and reward for his phenomenal performance. At the moment of greatest success and at the height of the celebrations, Kostic sent a special greeting to Messi. Exactly where for years the Argentine had dizzyed opponents and brought tears of delight to his own fans’ eyes, he copied Messi’s most famous celebration.
Thanks to the fans
Kostic got rid of himself under loud cheers of the Frankfurt Annex of his jersey and held the number 10 jersey in the direction of the fans. A pose with which Messi once celebrated a decisive goal in the Clásico at Real Madrid. On Thursday evening, Kostic celebrated his brace and entry into the semi-finals of the Europa League in Messi’s living room. An incredible story. “I’m very proud of this team and thank you for this incredible support,” Kostic wrote shortly afterwards on Instagram. The end of a magical night.
Source: HR