Messi

by Guillem Balague

  Semifinal

  Argentina vs Brazil

  28 June 2005, Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht

  Attendance: 16,500

  Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Leo had said. Seventh minute. He collects the ball on the left wing and after a couple of touches senses that the moment is right to launch a rocket from outside the area that flies into the net. ‘He nailed it from an angle,’ remembers Ferraro.

  There was still much to do, much to give. Zabaleta controls the ball, he goes past a Brazilian defender into the penalty area. He loses the ball. Out comes the Brazilian central defender to recover it and the Argentinian captain falls to the ground. The ball goes loose. The defender’s foot is raised and Pablo’s head is between the ball and the Brazilian’s foot. ‘One of their defenders wanted to recover the ball and I just blocked it with my head. It was an instinctive reaction,’ says Zabaleta. Ferraro made a mental note of this valiant deed.

  Brazil equalise through a Renato header following a seventy-fifth-minute free-kick. The game, dramatic, evenly matched, is heading for extra-time but the Argentinian game is now concentrated entirely on the side on which Leo is playing. He is the star and they look to him for the answers.

  With 93 minutes gone, Leo receives the ball on the left and after a quick run down the wing he finds himself on the side of the penalty area, one-on-one against a central defender who has come out to block him. Leaving him in his wake, he gets to the by-line before putting in a cross towards the penalty spot. Kun Agüero fails to get to the ball, but the clearance falls short and to the feet of Zabaleta who hits the ball with his left foot. It strikes two defenders before finding its way into the net.

  Goal. GOAAAAAAL!

  Behind, Pablo, going absolutely nuts, comes running to Leo, flapping his arms as if he was about to take off. A lap to the right, and Pablo follows him, then to the left, at top speed. Leo joins the group hug, shouting and jumping. A few seconds later, the same thing happens all over again when the referee blows his whistle to bring the game to an end. Argentina have made it to the final.

  *

  –

  But is it true that when you spoke on the telephone to Diego you promised him the cup?

  –

  [Laughing loudly] It was incredible. That the best player in the world should have bothered to speak to me. It’s too much. He asked me to bring the cup back to Argentina. And I cheekily said that I would! I had already spoken to him after I scored the first goal of my career against Albacete in the Spanish League. But every meeting with the greatest is unique.

  (Gente magazine, July 2005)

  Final

  Argentina vs Nigeria

  2 July 2005, Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht

  Attendance: 24,500

  Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)

  Diego Armando Maradona made contact by phone with the side via a journalist friend. He had a moment with Leo. ‘Bring home the cup,’ he said. Nigeria had beaten Morocco and the day before the final Leo had been awarded the Ballon d’Or for player of the tournament; behind him were two Nigerian players, the midfielder John Obi Mikel and the left-sided defender Taye Taiwo. After receiving the prize, Leo prepared a T-shirt that he would wear under his white and blue international vest.

  Pancho Ferraro prepared a video for the boys. And with his finger on the remote he said: ‘Look, I love to see the chip over, the beautiful game, the nutmegs, but look at this’. He pressed Play. They saw the incident where Zabaleta had stuck his head between the ball and his opponent’s foot. ‘This is what your captain did.’ Leo laughed. So did the rest of them. And Ferraro added: ‘If we keep that sort of attitude tomorrow, we will come out champions.’

  ‘Many of us were going to be leaving the Under 20s. That’s the beauty of this level, that it can generally only be enjoyed once. Let’s not let this chance slip.’ That was the message of the captain.

  Pancho Ferraro’s line-up was: Oscar Ustari; Lautaro Formica, Gabriel Paletta, Ezequiel Garay, Julio Barroso; Pablo Zabaleta, Fernando Gago, Juan Manuel Torres, Rodrigo Archubi; Lionel Messi and Gustavo Oberman. Coming on later were Kun Agüero (for Oberman, 57th minute), Emiliano Armenteros (for Archubi, 61st minute) and Lucas Biglia (for Gago, 72nd minute).

  Leo had walked through the hotel on his way to the coach and through the corridors of Utrecht’s Galgenwaard Stadium fairly unexcited. He said nothing that anyone remembers. He cannot remember saying anything of note either. ‘His personality is calm, very calm,’ says Zabaleta. ‘Notice when he takes penalties, with an icy coldness.’

  Thirty-eighth minute. Leo controls the ball on the left wing and goes off on one of his runs, this time for about 40 metres, going past various players. He gets into the box. Dele Adeleye tries to get the ball back, he can’t, he puts one leg in, then the other. He pole-axes him with a tackle born of frustration. A clear penalty. Leo gets up, no hurry, showing no emotion, and walks to the penalty spot.

  As captain it fell to Zabaleta to take the penalty, or at the very least to decide who should. ‘The person who had to take it was the one who had the most confidence,’ Pablo says today. After the foul, Messi, who had spent months practising penalties at the request of his old coach Guillermo Hoyos, picked the ball up, a serious look on his face. Looked at it and with hardly any run-up, one, two, three …

  Arsène Wenger says: ‘to get to the very highest level, you need to believe in yourself to a greater degree than can be logically justified. All great sportsmen have this capacity for illogical optimism. Not a single athlete has ever reached his maximum potential without the ability to eliminate from his mind any shadow of a doubt.’

  … four, five short steps …

  The squad had seen a clear change in Leo’s personality during these 40 days at training camp. Especially so during the final. The emotion of the group (having come so far, having spoken to Maradona, having taken the lead) was in direct contrast to the cold-blooded calm of Messi that was already making the difference on the pitch and turning him into a strong, silent leader of the group.

  … he puts the ball with a light touch to the right of the goal-keeper …

  ‘He hit it with a simplicity, an inner calm, like it was nothing’ (Zabaleta).

  ‘It was known that he would be one of the penalty takers, but what we didn’t know was how calm he would be about it, and that he would just roll it into one side, slowly’ (Oberman).

  … and the ball rolls in gently, far from the goalkeeper, Vanzekin, who has launched himself in the opposite direction.

  He barely smiles, with a look that says, ‘Of course I scored.’ He lifts his shirt to reveal a T-shirt with the words which read, For Mari, Bruno, Tomi, Agus. A dedication to his sister, his nephews, Agustín and Tomás, and his cousin, Bruno.

  Nigeria equalise in the fifty-second minute and, 20 minutes later, Kun Agüero is brought down in the area. Again a clear foul. And once again Leo picks up the ball.

  If the first penalty is something that a left-footed player doesn’t usually do (namely, aim his shot to the left), then the second, after three steps, and with the most delicate of touches, sends the ball towards the other post with the keeper hurling himself in the wrong direction.

  ‘He didn’t get fazed, not even in the World Cup final. He took the penalty as if he was taking it in his backyard at home. And both of them totally different, in different places’ (Pancho Ferraro).

  Leo lifts his shirt. Slightly less exuberantly on this occasion.

  And the game is over.

  There it was. Argentina’s fifth Under 20 world championship. And then the jumping began, the jokes and a huge, everlasting smile that became fixed on Leo’s face. On their way to pick up their medals they talked about the tight dresses worn by the hostesses, greeting all the visiting dignitaries, before running out again for more leaping around before receiving the final prize, the World Cup.

  Cometh the hour, cometh the man: champion and best player of the tournament, j
ust as Maradona had been in 1979, and winner of the Golden Boot as top goalscorer (with one more goal than Fernando Llorente and the Ukrainian Oleksandr Aliiev). Zabaleta teased him, reminding him that if he had not taken the two penalties he would not have won the Golden Boot. And, ecstatic, they both posed alongside Prince William-Alexander, husband of the Argentinian-born Máxima Zorreguieta, today the Queen of the Netherlands.

  The team returned to the hotel and ‘the Professor’ insisted that the group show respect for the other teams that were also spending another night there. So, no party, nothing; just a long celebratory supper, that was it.

  And what was Leo thinking? Messi remembered that championship as one of the best experiences of his life. Even after everything that he has achieved in his career, that period was, for him, one of the many ‘firsts’ in his life (national side, world championship, new group). He came from another country; he wanted to be recognised in his own. In the group phases he was one of many, but his consistency was in question, as was his physical strength. In the crucial knockout stages, he was a determining factor – with his equaliser against Colombia; two minutes of magic for one assist and a goal against Spain; an early strike against Brazil. Even though he had already made his debut in the league and even scored for Barcelona on one occasion that same season, it was in Holland that Leo Messi really took off.

  ‘What did we say to him to give him that extra push?’ Salorio was asked. ‘We made him a competitive animal, almost evil – the Argentinian always wants to win. We said to him: “Look, if we lose we’re out of here, because they’re going to beat us to death.” I hadn’t been able to go with Pancho and Leo to the Sudamericano because of stress. But I enjoyed the World Cup very much. There is one unforgettable memory that I will take with me to my grave: the players, me in a corner, came to get me and picked me up and threw me in the air three times. And I said: “Heck, I must have done a lot for this group that they come to get me while I am just sitting in a corner, clapping …”’

  ‘Kun was, like, crazy, we were all very happy,’ adds Oberman. ‘I remember that after singing, partying, and when we were all a bit calmer, I went up to Leo and said to him: “truly, I will tell my children one day that I played football with you, because you will become one of the greats.” I remember this, and he laughed, and then shyly touched my shoulder. The truth is that I believed he was going to be great, but not that much. He exceeded my expectations. It’s what we jokingly said: now Pekerman isn’t going to have any problems picking his team for the 2006 World Cup because he’s going to have to take him.’

  Oberman was from Argentina Juniors and, celebrating after the final, a thought crossed his mind. ‘We were playing with a kid who was at one of the most important clubs in the world and he treated us as if he had come from any team from the same level as us, always with humility; with frustration as well, because he would become annoyed during games sometimes, or he would moan when you wouldn’t pass to him or something … I always tried to follow his instinct, and always with the greatest of respect. It was a great pleasure to play with him.’

  Gustavo Oberman would not play for his country again. His son is five years old and a fanatical supporter of Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo. When he told his son that he had played with Messi, the kid wouldn’t believe him:

  –

  When he played for Barcelona?

  –

  Nooo, in Argentina.

  –

  And when did you play for Argentina?

  And Oberman would put on the video of the goal that he scored against Spain after a pass from Leo, just at the point where the commentator begins to pick up the pace: ‘… Gago, Messi, Oberman … goaaaaaal!!’

  –

  Look, look Dad!! Mum, Mum!! Dad’s playing with Messi!!

  –

  Did you dream about that moment?

  –

  I won’t lie to you: I always dreamed about playing and being champions with the national side, but until it happened I wasn’t aware of just how beautiful it is to do a lap of honour wearing your country’s shirt.

  –

  Were you aware that you were inspiring the whole of Argentina?

  –

  It was incredible the reception we got, I couldn’t believe that it was happening. Now I just want to be with family, enjoy myself with my mum and dad [Jorge, 46 and Celia, 44], my brothers and sister [María Sol, 11, Matías, 22 – who has a greengrocer’s and a kiosk in the centre of Rosario – and Rodrigo, 25, who lives with Leo and Jorge in Barcelona, where he is studying to become a chef and with my nephews.

  –

  The whole world is comparing you to Maradona. How do you manage to keep your feet on the ground?

  –

  [He blushes, and doesn’t answer] …With my family we went through many bad times. But as they say, this has been like a dream for me. I still haven’t come down to earth. It’s something unique that I will never forget. Winning the World Cup has been the happiest moment of my life.

  (Gente magazine, July 2005)

  Leo emailed his mother after winning the title. ‘Mama, I can’t believe what is happening to me. I have to pinch myself to make sure that I am awake.’ He returned to Argentina a hero, the footballer the nation had been waiting for. His name appeared the following day in L’Équipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, El Mundo Deportivo and AS.

  ‘I learned to love the national side when I was sixty years old. When you hear the national anthem, it kills you. It was a great source of pride to be able to have coached all of the side to victory, not just Messi and Sergio Agüero,’ says Ferraro today. ‘It was the high-point of my career. Only five coaches in the history of Argentina can say, “I was champion of the world”: Menotti, Bilardo, Pekerman, Tocalli and me. There is a poster in Ezeiza aiport where you can see all the coaches who were champions of the world and you can see my photo there hugging Messi and Ustari. It was the best moment of my life.’

  The idea was to return to Buenos Aires, each to their own homes and their own battles. When they arrived at Ezeiza the players were surprised to see hundreds of supporters waiting to greet them. And television cameras, radio microphones, photographers. As they came out of the arrivals hall everyone was looking for Leo, drowning in a sea of journalists. His uncle, Claudio, and his father, Jorge, had come to pick him up in the van and decided to accept an invitation from a well-known television programme. After it, by which time it was the early hours of the morning, Leo fell asleep in the car taking him to Rosario along with Formica and Garay, who were playing for Newell’s at the time.

  What happened next is well documented by Toni Frieros in his biography of Messi. Cintia Arellano, Leo’s school friend, had alerted the young people in the neighbourhood to prepare something, to collect some money to decorate the streets with bunting and paint. ‘Leo, Our Nation’s Pride’ was daubed in white paint in front of the door of Cintia’s house. A banner from one side of the street to another said simply, ‘Welcome, Champion’. They waited until midnight for him to arrive, with drums and fire crackers at the ready. Along with three television cameras. The cold was getting to them and the wait was becoming longer and longer. Most people eventually went to bed.

  At about five in the morning they heard the van approaching. The camera lights were switched on. Confetti was thrown across the van. There was shouting: ‘Leo’s coming, Leo’s coming.’ What was arriving was in fact a tired, cold, young man. He wanted to go to bed. But he reacted immediately: greeted everybody, kissed everyone, gave interviews.

  The boy who had left five years earlier in tears had returned, champion of the world.

  4

  Frank Rijkaard: The Rise

  ‘We knew that Messi was going to be better than Ronaldinho. I remember sitting in my office and reading in the paper that we were looking to buy Rafael van der Vaart. I looked at Frank. We’d just seen Barcelona B with Messi starring. Frank said: “Nah, we don’t need van der Vaart.”’

  (Henk ten Cate)
/>   During the 2004−05 season Barcelona continued the necessary restructuring that would ensure that the ball would inexorably find its way into the path of Ronaldinho. Frank Rijkaard approved the departure of Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Phillip Cocu, while Luis Enrique and Marc Overmars decided to retire. It was the end of an era, and the youthful push of Joan Laporta’s board brought with it a return to general optimism at the club. With the money recouped from transfers out, players of great quality and personality arrived: Deco (from a Porto side that had just won the Champions League), Ludovic Giuly (Monaco), Belletti (Villarreal), Edmilson (Lyon), Henrik Larsson (Celtic), Silvinho (Celta) and Samuel Eto’o, for whom Barcelona had to pay €12 million to Mallorca and the same amount to Real Madrid. In this list you could see the nucleus of a new Barcelona which, from that moment on, looked to a midfield combination of Rafa Márquez, Xavi and Deco (Iniesta was at the time the fresh pair of legs), and a skilful and productive front line in the shape of Eto’o, Giuly and Ronaldinho. Good results and the extensive makeover were also celebrated when Ronaldinho was named FIFA Player of the Year in December 2004. But what was still lacking was a title that would rubber-stamp the certain feeling that, at long last, Barcelona was emerging from five years in the wilderness.

  Leo Messi had made his first-team debut in the friendly against Porto in November 2003, but since that heady opener the doors of the Camp Nou had remained closed to him. Was that talented 16-or 17-year-old kid of no use to Frank Rijkaard despite the fact that he seemed to be progressing very fast? Doubts were being heard from the club and also from the player’s family – why was he not playing? How was he taking the lack of chances in the first team? In what would have been a confusing time for any adolescent, never mind one on the fringes of the elite squad, the club proposed that Leo should be examined by an Argentinian psychologist picked by Josep Colomer, the director of the academy at the club.