Nico Dominguez interview: 'Lionel Messi is a relaxed, laid back person but on the pitch he is a monster'

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsQ&ANico Dominguez interview: ‘Lionel Messi is a relaxed, laid back person but on the pitch he is a monster’Nico Dominguez says Nottingham now feels like home Joern Pollex - UEFA/Getty Images Share articleWhen asked to describe Nico Dominguez’s qualities in a few words, his Nottingham Forest team-mates say “technically gifted” and “intelligent”. But there is another theme running through most of the responses to the club media post to mark the Argentina midfielder making his 100th appearance for the club. Ryan Yates describes him as being “busy”. Morgan Gibbs-White calls him “hard working”. Nikola Milenkovic goes for someone “who is always willing to sacrifice himself for the team”. Since joining from Bologna in September 2023, Dominguez has played under five different managers at Forest. All of them, including Vitor Pereira now, will have appreciated the 27-year-old’s determined attitude, as well as his versatility. “He understands the game very well. He has quality, personality… Argentinians, they have strong, strong character,” said Pereira in a recent press conference. “He is a player I can trust. It is important to have players like him.” So, as he sits down with The Athletic at the Nigel Doughty Academy to reflect on a dramatic campaign and to look ahead to what he believes will be a brighter future under Pereira, how would Dominguez describe himself? “The best thing is to work hard every day — give 100 per cent whether you play or not, always,” he says. “In training and everything else. This is life: give 100 per cent in every single moment. This is my passion in football, to be able to say that I have given my all. “I prefer to play in my position, in midfield. But I will play anywhere to help the team. If the manager needed me to, I would play at left back, right back, wherever. I like to look at tactical situations.” Forest have secured Premier League safety, but it is still a big few days for Dominguez, who is waiting to discover whether he will be included in the final Argentina squad for the World Cup. He has been included in the long list as head coach Lionel Scaloni ponders his final selection. Midfielders like Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, and Leandro Paredes were important figures as Argentina won the World Cup in 2022 and remain integral to the squad now.  Thiago Almada has been impressive in Scaloni’s side. For Dominguez, it may require a late injury or two for him to force his way in. “I know it is difficult to stay in the final squad, because Argentina have some good players, particularly in midfield,” he says. “I see it as being a little gift for me being in the bigger squad; for me, it is a reward for hard work. I am very happy. If I go to the World Cup, it would be very, very special. Every player when they start to play football, they want to get to the World Cup; they want to win things with their national team.” Dominguez was a part of the Argentina squad that won the Copa America in 2021 and has won 11 caps. He says playing and training with Lionel Messi has been one of the biggest learning experiences of his career. “He is a good person. He is a relaxed, laid back person. But on the pitch, he is just a monster,” says Dominguez. “In training, when you watch him, you just see different aspects of football; new things that you did not know before, when you see him work. He just inspires you, when you see him working. On the pitch, he is perfect.” Another player who inspired Dominguez when he was growing up, Luka Modric, is likely to be involved too with Croatia, at the age of 40.  “When I was younger, it was the players who played in my position that I looked up to,” says Dominguez. The Forest man also hopes that two of his teammates will be part of the England squad, in Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White. “This has been a good season for both of them,” says Dominguez. “Hopefully Morgan will get the call-up for the World Cup because he has scored 17 goals. When a club plays against relegation, it is difficult to do that. It has been a good season for both of them and hopefully they will both be here next season. These two guys are so important.” Dominguez began studying for his coaching badges during his time playing for Bologna — where he developed an interest in wine, signing up for a course to learn how to be a sommelier.  For one of his three-and-a-half seasons in Italy, Dominguez wore the captain’s armband. He believes one of the things Forest are blessed with are leadership figures. “We have a lot leaders,” he says. “Nikola is one of those leaders. But we have Morgan, Yates and others too,” says Dominguez. “The captain does not have to have the armband. If you help to lead the team and the other players, if you set the example by giving your all in every game. That is being a captain.” Pereira was the fourth man to take charge at Forest in February, amid ten months of change, which began with the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo in September. “When he (Pereira) arrived he created a good atmosphere,” says Dominguez. “In the situation we were in, we were fighting relegation. It was a difficult situation. His message is always clear. We have a good group with good players. The most important thing is that he changed things. There are better times on the horizon, because we have good players and a good team. “We will prepare at the start of the season with one manager. He will have more time to put his ideas across on the pitch. I am confident that it will be, hopefully, a good season. Every player when they arrive at this club, they want to fight for trophies. They want to be in Europe. That is the mentality that we need.” Dominguez says Pereira — who is in talks over a contract extension — has brought calmness and stability. “Since he has arrived, it has been a good atmosphere,” says Dominguez. “It is important for the team, for everyone, that he will be in charge again. We finished the season well and want to start the next season in the same way. We reached the semi-final of the Europa League. It was the big positive of the season, getting that far in Europe. We had not been there in 30 years.” After three years, Dominguez feels at home in Nottingham. “My family is happy here. My daughter (Allegra) speaks English better than I do. She will speak English, her second language will be Spanish. I like the life here. We have a nice house, not too far away from the training ground. It is a good place.” When he feels homesick, he seeks out Argentinian food. “There is one (Argentinian) place in Nottingham… it is called Banquet. It is very good. Otherwise, I buy meat from Argentina and we cook it. I have a big BBQ. It is not as warm… but we feel at home.” And, having notched up his 100th appearance, Dominguez hopes to add more. “I was young when I came to the Premier League so to arrive at this number is important for me,” he says. “This has been a long, long season… I want to finish with a win, go on holiday then pray for a good year; one like last season perhaps, when we qualified for Europe. Perhaps we can do that again. We should believe we can.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms