Legendary Italian defender Gentile: 'I wish Juve would give me a call' to mark Messi

Few defenders in world football have been as feared and revered as Claudio Gentile, a rock of the Italian defense in the 1970s and 1980s.

The punishing defender, who struck fear in the hearts of strikers despite his 5-foot-10 frame, helped lift Juventus to glory and famously starred on the World Cup winning Azzurri side of 1982.

Now more than 30 years after aggressively marking Diego Maradona in that World Cup, Gentile only wishes he had the opportunity to do the same to Barcelona's Lionel Messi in the Champions League final.

"I would like to be able to face up to Messi, to mark him in the final. I wish that Juve would give me a call and tell me I was the man chosen to mark him!" the 61-year-old told Marca.

As for how he would defend this generation's Argentinian phenomenon: "The same things I did at the Sarria against Maradona. Above all, to not let him get the ball and if he does, in the worst conditions possible," Gentile said.

Gentile, who admitted that one can only hope to limit Messi "because there is no way to completely stop him," added that effective, physical defending doesn't have to be dirty defending.

"A defender has to be strong. That's something very different to being dirty and going in to do harm. A defender is a defender, not a dancer."

A plethora of famous dancing strikers who had the misfortune of matching up with Gentile know that all too well.

The task of limiting Messi will primarily fall on the shoulders of French defender Patrice Evra on Saturday, when Juventus looks to complete the treble with a Champions League title.

(Courtesy: Marca.com)