Leicester have done well, Barca still tops

Former Bafana Bafana defender Nasief Morris, who played in Spain's LaLiga, has hailed Leicester City's display but still enjoys the type of football played by Barcelona more than anything else

After starring in South Africa's Premier Soccer League, Morris spent time playing in Greece with Panathinaikos before moving to play in LaLiga where he came up against some of the best in the world.

“Going to play in Spain where you come up against such talented strikers was a really big experience for me. I mean, just having to defend against Messi, Ronaldo and those guys was tough. But, for me it was just about adapting quickly to the style of football in Spain. Once I adapted I enjoyed what was a great experience to play there," Morris recalls.

“The level of football was great to experience because I believe Spain is the best league in Europe. The game is very competitive in Spain and I believe their tactics are the best in Europe. Even the smaller clubs in Spain are capable teams, able to beat anyone. The level of competitiveness was is huge."

Turning his attention to the remarkable exploits of Leicester City, the new Premier League champions, Morris said: “If you look at England, Leicester City play a counter attack style of football mostly, and allow opponents to have the ball but then wait for opportunities to catch them on the break.

“But in Spain, Barcelona are capable of disorganizing any team no matter how they play. They will find a gap in an opponent’s tactics and they will get in there and make something happen," he said.

“Barcelona can attack and defend as a unit and with great tactical and technical awareness, and I really like this kind of football."

Asked to describe his greatest memories of his time playing for Recreativo de Huelva and Racing Santander in Spain, Morris said: “My memories from Spain will always stick with me.

"Coming up against all those big teams and facing all those top players like Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho and these experiences will never fade.

"It’s very hard to explain what it feels like, but when you are in the moment you adapt and enjoy the challenge."

Morris is currenlty on the books of National First Division side Milano who play out of Cape Town, Morris' home city.