Former Argentine and Colombian coach, Jose Pékerman, gave an interview for TNT Sports in which he talks about the situation MESS to Barcelona and how the striker refused to play for the Spanish team.
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The coach was part of the lower categories of Albicelesta and was the one who made his debut in the 2006 World Cup. According to his report, Rosario could have been part of the “Red Fury”, but decided to reject the offer.
Messi’s current situation
“He is not happy to see Messi at the moment with what happened to him. He had made a decision that seemed final and without turning back. I was convinced. And because of what happened later, Messi was right in his decision. Internal problems are difficult to say without being at the place and each club has its own situations that the people who are there know. ”
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Messi was an emblem, as Guardiola used to say, the “icing on the cake” of a generation in Barcelona that has delighted us for a decade. Like any cycle, there is always a general decline, which sometimes those in the series are the ones who can suffer the most. It should be a time for Leonel and his family. He looks good in the individual part and he still has to give a lot and in the national team he is a key player. ”
Tips for the future
“It is difficult to advise, because there is nothing better than you and your circle to make these decisions. If we look at their careers and choices to become what they are, I think the best advice is to unleash what they have always wanted. ”
How did you recruit Messi for Argentina?
“I practically stole it from Spain. What I saw about some videos, both Claudio Vivas, who spoke with Toncalli, and I already had some reports about a little boy from Rosario. At that time, I left the national team in 2002 and went to Spain to work at Leganes. There I saw him play in Barça youth. In FIFA there was a regulation that has already changed, which said that a player who played in youth teams could not play in any other country. I made the strategy for the South American to play, because the European team was also coming and in Spain it did not go unnoticed and it was going to play with the Spanish team. ”
Messi’s words
His parents let him decide. And his words were: “I’m Argentine and I want to play in Argentina.” It was his decision, of feeling, of heart. Because they made the decision to go so small in Spain, a challenge. All the decisions were of this type and now he has to do that, to do everything possible to be happy. ”
Rijkaard hallucinated with Messi
” In my first steps with Barça to comply with FIFA regulations, I had to organize a friendly match with a list signed by players, to clarify that FIFA has already played with us. I was with Laporta, I introduced myself and I told him about the authorization for Messi to play in that match. The famous match with Paraguay took place on the Argentinos Juniors field. Messi is blind because he enters the second half with 1-0 and ends up winning 8-0. Hugo Tocalli goes crazy. “
He plays the role of South American and returns to Spain, and Barcelona had started the pre-season. Rijkaard He takes her to that preseason and the club calls me. I was scared because I thought they would blame me for something. They told me, “What did you do to them? That boy is different. I had him as a project, a long-term player, but he saw it Rickard and you can’t believe it, it drives us crazy that we haven’t started the process for the community passport. From there, he joined the first team (Barcelona). ”
What has changed in Messi?
” At Barça they saw him more aggressively and I thought. I attributed it to the fact that he played with boys who were already in the First Division in Argentina: Agüero, Di María, Lavezzi … And in Spain he was far from the First … It was a great team. I think he got infected there and made a big change. I came to this conclusion. ”
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“It simply came to our notice then. He turned 19 at the 2006 World Cup. We had a great team. I noticed a boy listening and in a strange moment. He had not been inferior to Argentina and had not lived in Argentine dressing rooms, he grew up in a very different environment and had to integrate it into an environment like ours, so different, how they play and how we live the qualifications. . I spoke clearly to him: “You will be the best player in the world, I see this, I see because I had and I have wonderful players. But this World Cup will not be yours. You will play and I will give you all the minutes I can. But it must help you listen, talk to the big boys, Heinze, Román, Gabi Milito, Crespo, Cambiasso … Come closer, let him go, because the World Cup is South Africa, I have no doubt and you will play in the selection for many years’. Now he’s leaving for the fifth World Cup. ”