Messi (64 page)

And hearing all that was killing Leo. He still did not understand the reasons. Fellow professionals defended him, Maradona included. ‘I think that the press had a lot to do with putting ideas in people’s heads, Leo this, Leo that, and remember he is twenty-four, twenty-five years old! I won the World Cup at twenty-six! He is at the right age to be a fully rounded player and show the Argentine public that they are completely wrong.’

But, tired of being misunderstood, Leo was close to giving up. He decided that he was either going to be accepted as he was, or he was not going to be accepted at all – whatever the consequences. ‘Society doesn’t understand him because he doesn’t sing the national anthem,’ says Gerardo Salorio. ‘Because he is a guy who shows little emotion. Here we like
bread and circuses
, that is how we are, that is how we like it. Serious people do not triumph in our country, you have to be a bit of a puppet. That is why Bielsa’s seriousness fitted so well in Bilbao. Such a serious Argentinian cannot exist in our homeland, as is the case with José Pekerman himself, Pancho Ferraro, Hugo Tocalli …’

‘I would ask Leo, because it would also be beautiful to help him think, what does the national anthem have to do with a football match?’ Signorini suggests. ‘What does the national anthem have to do with anything? Because when you think about any national anthem, it brings to mind epic battles. You always think about the nastiness of war.’

You could write calmly against Messi: it became fashionable. The problem was that his personal life continued to be mixed up with his footballing life. The prize-winning writer Martín Caparrós launched into a diatribe against Leo in October 2011, which was widely read. ‘He tries to be Argentine, three billion reaffirm that he is; only his supposed compatriots doubt him. He still hasn’t aroused affection or a sense of closeness within us: Messi is a guy who does incredible pirouettes with a ball on the other side of the world and who, luckily, belongs to us for World Cups. Of course it makes us proud – pride comes easily to us Argentines, as easily as a plaintive cry – but it is slightly artificial: as if we feared that the trick would be discovered at any moment.’

Without the media support that Riquelme (who helped certain journalists climb the ladder on television) or Maradona received,
Leo was more and more a stranger in his own land. It is a very typical type of Argentine jealousy. Messi left and triumphed; during the crisis, he packed his bags, electing not to stay and put up with it like the rest of them. ‘It may not be just an Argentine thing, but it is prominent here,’ Sergio Levinsky explains. ‘There has been a long-standing tradition of not selecting players for the World Cup if they plied their trade in Europe. Argentina went to Sweden in 1958 and failed miserably; neither Alfredo Di Stéfano nor Enrique Omar Sívori were there. They were the best players in the world, but, as they played in Europe, they were deemed superfluous to requirements.’ Even Maradona, between 1982 and 1985, had a spell in which he was not called up, because he was playing in Europe.

Leo describes his house in Castelldefels as a ‘normal’ home. He has many items of sentimental value in Rosario, in his house, his mother’s or his brother’s. It is where his roots are. However, there is hardly any trace of him in his city. It was not until 2013 that the local tourist board published a leaflet with a ‘Messi route’ on it for the first time. Plans for a sports museum are being drawn up. Messi insists that he will retire at Newell’s: ‘I don’t know when it will be, but it is what I want. I want to play in Argentine football because of everything it means.’ There is sincerity in his words, but they often sound like an appeal for acceptance.

But, as Eduardo Sacheri said in
El Gráfico
, ‘It isn’t Messi’s fault that we Argentines are incapable of ending our mourning for Diego.’

Argentina have not won a major tournament since 1993. Looking back at Leo’s first 50 caps, there were important goals, beautiful ones, too, but still no afternoon of glory in the latter stages of a tournament. Sergio Batista replaced Maradona and wanted to replicate history, which is why he decided to use the system that Guardiola had mastered at Barcelona, giving Leo freedom. But it was neither Xavi nor Iniesta who helped him, nor was the team built from the back with the efficiency of Puyol and Piqué. The new coach was building a house from the roof down, imposing the formation, before creating the conditions to make the most of the talent at his disposal, but the nature of international duty offers little alternative or time.

He also repeated what Pep had done with Ronaldinho and Deco: Batista confronted Tévez, who subsequently disappeared from the scene. There are numerous theories:
el Apache
was one of the few who, after the Germany failure, backed Maradona, long-term enemy of Batista. In a friendly against Brazil in Doha, Tévez did not travel because of a supposed muscular injury, but he played for Manchester City days later. ‘That shows a lack of loyalty’ was the message coming from Batista’s camp.

Another more football-related example can be added: Batista announced that he was going to build a team around Messi. The style had to be chosen. Tévez offered fight and battling spirit, but that came at a price; he was more comfortable playing the lone striker.

The coach travelled to England to see some of his players and did not even call Tévez. His future seemed to be clear, but there was a
problem. It was 2011, the year of the Copa América, which was to be held in Argentina. Tévez, from a humble background and baptised by Maradona as the ‘people’s player’, had at the time greater marketing power than Leo: his face was in TV commercials and on posters all over the country. There was enormous pressure from the companies sponsoring the national team to keep
el Apache
in the squad. Some days before the beginning of the tournament, Batista phoned Tévez. He was going to be called up.

As always happens, cliques started forming around the leaders. Leo shared tables, time, games and chats with Pablo Zabaleta, Mascherano and both Gabriel and Diego Milito. They had already been known since South Africa as the
Ferran Adriàs
, in honour of the famous Catalan chef. The name would be abandoned as it gradually became the most relevant group.

For that tournament, Checho Batista featured in a 4-3-3 system with Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Mascherano and Ever Banega as the three central midfielders, although two of them had to play more of a box-to-box role and wider than usual. Ezequiel Lavezzi joined the Tévez/Messi duo up front.

The problems were obvious from the first minute against Bolivia, in the opening game. Messi and Tévez were making the same runs, they were using similar spaces, they did not fit. And as the game continued all square, both dropped deep to help the build-up. The same thing happened in the following match, against Colombia. Two draws to start with. And the public made itself heard: they preferred Tévez. The chants and insults were aimed at Leo, who would leave the pitch with a vacant stare. And also the boos, the first he had heard since his
albiceleste
debut five years earlier.

The press did not let it go.

‘You only fall in love with Argentina at the beginning, when you land at the airport or when the national anthem is sung.’

(El Clarín)

‘The 11 nutcases. This is not Messi.’

(Olé)

Jorge Messi spoke on Radio 10. Leo ‘is having a very hard time. It is the very first time that he has been booed, it is something he didn’t expect. It is really tough … People are free to think whatever they want. What is irritating is what the press says, they create situations
that are unfair. They are adding fuel to the fire. The Argentine press can criticise, because it is their job. Argentina are playing badly, but they should look after their team a bit more.’

The media was creating opinion, but Jorge could see something more than an innocent footballing debate: ‘I don’t understand the envy. Beyond that there are people who are opinion formers and speak about someone’s personal life. That hurts and annoys. Lionel is in a bad state because when he arrived in the country a few days ago, people were rallying around him.’ The rift that the federation created between the squad and the fans, who were denied the opportunity to get photographs signed or to take pictures of their heroes in the hotels, did little to create a sympathetic atmosphere.

Leo had to respond in his own way, on the pitch. Victory against Costa Rica was essential. It was in Córdoba, in the Mario Kempes Stadium, and for once the fans did not give anyone stick: they got behind the team and Leo felt their appreciation. In return, Leo played a blinder. It went well for him alongside Kun Agüero, Di María and Higuaín, who waited for his or Fernando Gago’s passes. The latter felt at ease controlling the tempo of the game, waiting for the moment when Leo could make the difference. Tévez stayed on the bench. Messi provided an assist for one of Agüero’s two goals and also made the pass for Di María’s. The final score was 3–0.

‘You had to pamper and look after Leo. That is how the Mario Kempes crowd understood it as they chanted his name. Before the game. During. And immediately after every involvement (brilliant or not) by the world’s best player.’

(
Olé
)

‘Messi was colossal … He bewildered the Costa Ricans who could never stop him, but he also drove the Córdoba, Corrientes and Santa Fe people crazy.’

(
El Clarín
)

At the end of the game the Costa Rica players queued up to get Leo to sign their shirts.

In the quarter-finals, the Río de la Plata
clásico
. Argentina fielded the same team but Uruguay, who played with a man less for 48 minutes, won on penalties. Tévez, who missed one in the shoot-out, would not wear the
albiceleste
shirt again. Messi’s sojourn with the national team was broken once again. The criticism was aimed at Batista.

‘National Failure.’

(Olé)

‘It cannot go on like this. Without heart, without defence, without a tactical idea, without support for Messi’s football.’

(Olé)

‘Lionel Messi, the best in the world, the ace of spades, the Sword of Damocles.’

(Daniel Arcucci)

But as soon as the lights went out on the tournament after Uruguay’s deserved triumph, the old personal accusations against Messi started flying again. Fans were annoyed that he seemed to prefer to defend himself with silence. That lack of response to public criticism was, however, adding fuel to the fire: and that criticism was even harsher than before. It was unbearable.

Leo Messi thought of quitting the national team for good.