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  Why Japan?

  ‘Because Leo is small. It sounds silly, but it isn’t. The Japanese identify with a little player who is skilled with the ball.’

  How are things going in Europe?

  ‘His image is growing. He has a lot of clout – in England, for example, thanks to the Champions League matches against Chelsea and Manchester United.’

  Aren’t you worried that he will burn out, that media overexposure and publicity could damage such a young footballer, as has happened in many other cases?

  ‘We will have to take good care of him and treat him well.’

  Chapter 20

  Boy of the match

  22 February 2006

  It is cold in London – intensely cold. The first leg of the Champions League quarter-final is being played at Stamford Bridge. The ground is muddy, which has provoked no end of controversy in the press. The atmosphere is heated – very heated, and very English. On one side is Chelsea – with a rational game, defensive, vigorous and impetuous, the most convincing team in Europe. On the other, Barça – talented, imaginative, with a taste for the spectacular. A lovely footballing model, but one that is often considered fragile, a machine easily broken. Both sides lead their respective leagues and, by the end of 2005, they have done incredible things. The new year has not started too well, however: in the Premier League, Chelsea let in three goals at Middlesbrough and they suffered the unspeakable in the FA Cup against modest Colchester. Barça are without Eto’o, who is playing in the African Nations Cup. With Xavi injured they have been knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the hands of Zaragoza, and without Ronaldinho they have lost two league games. The defeat against Valencia is tough, since they are closing in on Barça in the table, reducing the gap to six points.

  Leaving circumstances to one side, the match offers myriad­ points of interest. Like the duels: between Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho and the runner-up Frank Lampard; between Eto’o and Drogba, voted best and second best African players. And let’s not forget the duel between the coaches: on the one hand emotional, hysterical José Mourinho and on the other, cool, calm Rijkaard: two completely opposing characters.

  Moreover there is the eternal theme of revenge, or vengeance, which is always present in football. Few have forgotten the defeat and the three goals in nineteen minutes that the Blues had inflicted on the Blaugrana on 8 March 2005 in the return leg of the Champions League last sixteen. Barça led with a relative advantage after their 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp, but were left helplessly chasing the comeback after a series of defensive errors, which, according to Rijkaard, were due to a lack of maturity and concentration. Despite Ronaldinho’s exploits and a string of missed chances, this Barça team, who already thought of itself as the new Dream Team, had to deal with the sight of Mourinho running onto the pitch and blowing kisses to the fans, as well as the insults, the shoving and the violent brawl between the players and the security guards, which even implicated the Dutch coach. The journey home was bitter, as the errors were rehashed over and over and referee Pierluigi Collina was accused (by the Spanish press) of not having given various penalties, nor having seen Carvalho’s foul on Valdés in what was eventually a 4-2 victory led by Terry. Accused, in other words, of having favoured Chelsea.

  It is well known that in cases such as these, history matters. It triggers headlines on every sports page and almost creates the impression of a television drama entitled ‘Revenge’; there is more and more tension felt among the players, who go onto the pitch now at 8.45pm. The teamsheets are announced: Chelsea are missing Drogba, who is replaced in the attack by Hernán Crespo, while Asier del Horno and Claude Makelele are confirmed at the back. Meanwhile Thiago Motta joins Edmílson in the centre for Barça. Andrés Iniesta, who has been in the starting line-up for some time, is on the bench. Leo Messi is sporting the number 30 fluorescent yellow shirt. To many, he seems no bigger than a kid when he comes onto the pitch. How will he be able to deal with this kind of tension, which is difficult enough even for the big boys? It seems that he doesn’t feel the pressure. Is it down to a youthful lack of inhibition? Or is he simply fearless? The answer comes in the third minute, when the first shot on target comes from the Argentine and Petr Cech saves it comfortably. Leo is definitely fearless. And he demonstrates it continuously in the coming minutes as he scurries into every available space like a little mouse. He runs up and down, stealing balls, passing accurately, working well with his teammates, creating the first real chance and sowing the seeds of panic among the Chelsea defence. A nightmare for Del Horno, who leaves a stud-mark impression through his right sock in the 31st minute. No caution, and no protest whatsoever from the Flea. Play continues. But a scuffle leads to the Basque defender being sent off six minutes later, leaving Chelsea a man short. What happens? Messi controls the ball three-quarters of the way up the pitch, resists an extremely tough tackle, and battles shoulder to shoulder with Robben, who manages to steal his position and snatch the ball, but the little guy will not back down. He chases him to the edge of the pitch, trying to overpower him from one side or another. Finally, with an unexpected burst of energy, he seizes the ball near the corner flag. Robben is now in front of him – he succeeds in nutmegging him but no sooner has he done so than he is flattened by a blue locomotive.

  ‘I saw the defender coming at me fast and deliberately, and I tried to jump out of the way … But I didn’t make it,’ the Argentine later explains. The yellow shirt is knocked to the ground, along with Del Horno’s blue one. Players gather around them, causing a commotion. Robben and Gudjohnsen start arguing with the linesman. Deco and Ronaldinho throw themselves at Del Horno. Puyol almost comes to blows with Robben. Motta and Edmílson try to calm the situation. Terry argues with Terje Hauge, the Norwegian referee, while Ronnie mutters something in his ear. Then comes the red card: Del Horno protests, Motta applauds, Makelele complains. The game recommences and Mourinho readjusts his team. He substitutes Joe Cole, sending on right back Geremi, and moving Ferreira into position to mark Messi. But nothing changes, neither the foul nor the recent beating has fazed the youngster, who continues to take centre stage; he doesn’t let up, he pays no attention to the Blues’ exasperation, and soldiers on with his fearless solo performance. He continually empowers the right flank of the pitch, creating juicy chances for Ronaldinho and Deco, although they fail to take advantage of them. Leo is too isolated – without the team behind him, he fails to make an impact. In the meantime, ten-man Chelsea are adhering strictly to their coach’s instructions: ‘Just get the 0-0 draw.’ Now they have the perfect excuse to hang back and wait for an opportune moment to strike. The Blues are in complete control and it’s not long before they make it count: spurred on by Drogba’s entrance at the beginning of the second half, the English team takes the lead in the 58th minute. It is Motta who ends up sliding the ball into his own net while trying to clear a free kick by Lampard. Now they need to turn the game around. Once again it is Messi who is trying everything possible, motivating the rest of the team and ignoring the chants and whistles from the Stamford Bridge crowd at every turn. Fast, direct, he skips away, destroying the defence, shooting, making incredible passes – but nobody is there to receive them. He puts in a gentle shot from the edge of the area which grazes the goalpost to the left of the Chelsea goalkeeper. And he stands there as if stunned, with an ironic expression, wondering how he could have done better. He is the most determined, and finally the team gets behind him. In the 70th minute Terry turns the tables for Barça: Ronaldinho takes a free kick that beats Cech to level the score and Barcelona start to play some good football and create chances. And it’s Messi again: he sends a golden opportunity to Larsson, who has come on for Motta. Three minutes later, Terry launches himself onto the Argentine in the area to prevent him from controlling the ball. Penalty? The referee ignores the incident. In the 79th minute Eto’o heads a great pass from Márquez into the net. They have done it.

  Unbeaten until that moment at Stamford Bridge, after 49 matches (
38 wins, eleven draws), José Mourinho must face up to the blow of his first defeat. And he doesn’t digest it very well. He blames it on the referee and Leo: ‘Am I disappointed with Del Horno’s sending off? Did you see the match? Either way I’m cross with the authorities: write that if you want … But what can we do? Ask for them to retract Del Horno’s red card? Suspend Messi for his theatricals? Nothing will change the result … Because let’s be serious, Messi put on an act. Catalonia is a country of culture, you know it is. And I’ve been to the theatre many times and it’s very high quality over there. And Messi has learnt from the best …’

  ‘Whoever says that Messi put on an act obviously didn’t see what really happened,’ says Eto’o. ‘They were pounding on him from all directions,’ insists Rijkaard. Leo simply­ says: ‘I have a cut on my knee, one on my thigh and another on my foot. My whole body is bruised, but I’m not in pain because we won.’ He adds: ‘It has been an incredible game.’

  Everyone else is in agreement, starting with his teammates, who hug him as he leaves the field, while the fans who came to the match chant his name. The following day the descriptions are flowing – people are talking of ‘dedication’, ‘genius’, ‘a footballing virtuoso’, ‘Barça’s treasure’, ‘the birth of a great star’, ‘the best’, ‘the bravest’, ‘the best in the match’. In the context of his age and his nerve, his performance is compared to the likes of Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, of Maradona in the Under 20 World Cup in 1979, of Cruyff against Benfica in 1969, of George Best. He is showered with praise, it is as if the boy has passed the test of maturity with flying colours and, with him, the entire team.

  The return leg at the Nou Camp is on 7 March. In the 23rd minute Leo Messi is off, stealing the ball from Robben – but suddenly he puts his hand to his left knee and falls to the ground. ‘In the play when I collided with Gallas, I had already felt the first stabs of pain, but I decided to keep going,’ he would say later, ‘and in the next play I realised that I couldn’t go on.’

  There has been no rough play, no knock, but Leo is lying on the ground. He grimaces with pain, his hands holding back his hair and covering his face to try to hide his fear. The crowd falls silent. His teammates look at each other, downcast. He leaves the pitch, distraught. Rijkaard hugs him, emotional. It is a difficult moment for a player who was applauded by 90,000 Nou Camp spectators – not as a drama queen, but as the puppet master who had pulled the strings of the Stamford Bridge victory.

  Muscular tear in the upper part of one of the right hamstrings – a four-centimetre tear. The Barcelona medics say that recovery will take four to six weeks. But luck is not on Leo’s side. When the time comes for him to play again, more problems arise in the same area: he can still feel the scar. He was supposed to play against Villarreal but does not, he should be playing in the Champions League semi-final against Milan but is not. In the end he goes 79 days without football. And he watches the Champions League final from the stands.

  There had been talk of the possibility of him playing for a short stint on this great occasion – Barça-Arsenal at the Stade de France, Paris – perhaps for a few minutes at the very least, but despite the seemingly healed injury, Rijkaard decides not to risk it. His teammates go on to lift the cup for the second time in Barça’s history. Sad and alone, Leo does not go down to the pitch to collect his medal.

  Chapter 21

  Supersonic aesthetic

  Conversation with Santiago Segurola, Marca journalist

  ‘The essence of football is contained in the body of a little player, an eighteen-year-old boy who could pass by unnoticed on any given street. His name is Leo Messi and there is every reason to believe that we are in the presence of an exceptional player, the most brilliant to appear in recent years.’ Those are the first lines of your article the day after Chelsea-Barcelona. Why did Lionel impress you so much?

  ‘Because that performance contained all the elements that fascinate spectators and encourage you to contemplate the wonder that is football. Because it didn’t seem like a match for an eighteen-year-old boy who had spent very little time at the top. In that match, before Barça appeared, Messi appeared – he was surprising, skilful, speedy, intelligent, and he showed great courage. It was a boy who made the difference in that match. He amazed the crowds. His performance was one of the greatest I have ever seen in my life.’

  And have you seen many players?

  ‘I saw Maradona when he was at the height of his career, I saw Raúl on his debut … but none of the players that I’ve seen play were as powerful or as brave.’

  What was his most impressive attribute?

  ‘Speed, without a doubt. Nowadays in football everyone wants to be fast, but speed leads to collisions. Messi amazes me in the way that he knows how to make so many decisions at such high speed without getting it wrong … Perhaps he doesn’t have the imagination of Ronaldinho or the other great Brazilians, perhaps he doesn’t have the vision or the game plan of a Maradona, but he has a supersonic aesthetic.’

  Any other qualities?

  ‘He is the only player capable of winning a match from anywhere on the pitch. He proved that against Zaragoza. He was halfway up the pitch, with his back to the goal, and he ended up scoring. He has the most extraordinary turn I have ever seen, more electric than Maradona’s. He can dodge, he can “one-two”, and he can finish … He is the product of a new global academy of youth team players. He represents an interesting model: his Argentine roots are continuously apparent and, at the same time, he belongs to a culture and a style of play that is profoundly “Barcelonan”. He is an example of the magnificent work that Barcelona has done with its youth academy since the Bosman ruling.’

  How has Messi changed since that match?

  ‘He hasn’t changed, he has just become more important. Now Messi is the footballing leader of Barça and he has to lead his national team as well.’

  Looking into our crystal ball: what do the coming years hold?

  ‘What concerns me is the possibility of Messi losing speed. What will happen when time erodes his tenacity and his velocity? I don’t know … Will he end up like Ronaldo, who became a specialist in having six good moments per match and a 20-metre sprint? It’s difficult to predict and it’s difficult­ to say what effect all the merchandising will have on him. Publicity has often been known to confuse players. It obliges them to be the best in the world at every possible second. And that’s not possible. A great player has to know how to choose his moments.’

  So in the end the real dangers are the advertising and becoming a diva?

  ‘I think that these players aren’t prepared for the extreme tension generated by the press, the critics, the success, the fame, the celebrity, the travelling, the commercial demands of the sponsors. These things can be distracting, they can let you get comfortable in your daily routine of match-playing­. Yes, footballers need to know that it’s like being hit by a truck and it’s a hard knock to take. Much harder than a few kicks from Asier del Horno at Stamford Bridge.’

  Chapter 22

  Difficult, very difficult

  Conversation with Asier del Horno

  Defender, born 19 January 1981 in Barakaldo (Vizcaya). Height: 1.81m. Weight: 72 kilos. Debut: 9 September 2000, Deportivo-Athletic Bilbao 2-0. Sporting career: 1999–2005 at Athletic, 2005–06 at Chelsea, 2006–07 at Valencia, 2007–08 at Athletic, 2008–2010 at Valencia, 2010 at Real Valladolid, 2010–11 at Levante UD. Ten caps with the Spanish national team. Titles: one Premier League (2005–06), and FA Community Shield (2005). That’s how his CV reads, but the ex-Chelsea left back has many more things to say.

  What happened at the 2005–06 Champions League final sixteen Chelsea-Barcelona match at Stamford Bridge?

  ‘It was a special match, given what had happened the previous year. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone could feel it. We were quietly confident. Mourinho had prepared us for every detail of the encounter, trying to block every possible Barça manoeuvre. In the midfield
we had people like Makelele, Lampard and Essien, who protected the defence but Messi kept on getting through. I came face to face with him two or three times and I tried to stop him with all my skills and experience.’

  Did Messi surprise you? Perhaps you weren’t expecting to come face to face with a kid like that?

  ‘In every match there’s always one player, the one you least expect, who makes you suffer.’

  In the 31st minute, you gave him a kick that merited a yellow card. What had the Argentine done to you?

  ‘Nothing, it was an incident during the game and I don’t remember the details.’

  Is Messi one of those forwards who provokes the defence?

  ‘No, he doesn’t provoke. He doesn’t say anything. There are many provocations in football between defenders and forwards, but that’s not his style.’

  Moving on to the 36th minute of the first half …

  ‘Messi had nutmegged Robben just by the corner flag. I tried to stop him and he went past me. He started to roll around on the ground and they sent me off. Messi was sharp, he was smart, it looked like it was an incredible tackle and in reality it was nothing …’

  So José Mourinho was right when he declared after the match that ‘Leo Messi put on an act, and a good one’?

  ‘Lionel exaggerated, without a doubt.’

  Leaving the past aside, let’s talk about Messi’s characteristics as seen from the point of view of a left back.

  ‘The key thing about Messi is that he drives the ball forward very well, quickly and with the ball always glued to his boot. His speed gives him time to change direction, surprising whoever is marking him at that particular moment.’

  How can Messi be stopped?

  ‘It’s complicated. It’s difficult, very difficult. Depending on the situation you’re in, given his divine inspiration … Playing on the opposite touchline, when he dodges into the centre, it’s difficult to stop him. He has speed, he has skills … argh, he’s a real problem for any defender.’