“As soon as he received one hit he would start crying” - Wesley Sneijder labels Barcelona hero as ‘absolute crybaby’ 

Former Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has lambasted Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets' alleged antiques on the field, labeling him a crybaby. Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of this generation. He formed a lethal midfield trio with Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta during his prime at Barcelona and Spain.

The Spaniard played 722 games for the Catalan giants, scoring 18 goals and laying out 46 assists. However, his main forte was controlling the ball from the midfield. Busquets was known for his ability to orchestrate the game with his impeccable footballing intelligence and penchant for absorbing opposition pressure.

In addition to his exploits at club level, the Spaniard also won UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with La Roja. He currently plays for MLS outfit Inter Miami along with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Ziggo Sport (via SPORTbible), Wesley Sneijder slammed Busquets. He said that he always fouled others but was never able to take it if the opponent reciprocated.

"Busquets was an extremely annoying player, always giving it to others but never able to receive," Sneijder said.

He continued:

"As soon as he received one hit he would start crying. An absolute crybaby. I literally had fights with him every single game. At one point I told him: 'I will see you in Ibiza in the summer, then you and I will talk again.'"

Sneijder recounted a game against Busquets during the latter's Barcelona days, saying:

"In 2010 we beat Barcelona 3-1 at home, then we had to go to Camp Nou and after eight minutes [Thiago] Motta hit him and Busquets started rolling on the ground while looking through his hands to see if Motta got a red card. Then he got up again and he was fine, the crybaby. A nasty guy to play against."

Busquets and Sneijder famously clashed during the 2010 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands at the FNB Stadium in South Africa. Spain edged past the Dutch courtesy of an iconic Andres Iniesta goal in the 116th minute to claim their first World Cup.

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When Wesley Sneijder felt former Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi didn't deserve the Ballon d'Or

Wesley Sneijder once claimed that he deserved the 2010 Ballon d'Or over Lionel Messi. The Dutch attacking midfielder had an incredible 2009-10 season, winning the continental treble with Inter Milan under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho. He also played a significant role in leading the Netherlands to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final where they lost 1-0 to Spain.

Despite his exploits, Sneijder didn't get a podium finish for the 2010 Ballon d'Or, which went to Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Lionel Messi recorded a whopping 47 goals and 12 assists in 53 games for Barcelona across competitions that season. He also won the LaLiga and Supercopa de Espana.

In an interview with Egyptian channel Alhayah TV (via Diario AS), Sneijder vented his disappointment for not winning the Ballon d'Or. However, he stressed that collective trophies were more important than individual honors for him.

“It was a little unfair that I didn’t win the 2010 Ballon d’Or and Messi did. But, I’m not a guy who cries about that. The Ballon d’Or is an individual award, and I prefer to win collective trophies," said Sneijder.

He continued:

"If I had to choose between the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, I would choose the Champions League I won, I’m very happy with that title.”

Sneijder retired from football in 2019 after playing 577 club games and registering 154 goals and 145 assists across competitions.