– Why are they slaughtering you in Argentina, dad, why? – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

Six-year-old Thiago began to understand that his father is among the world’s best, but perhaps also among the world’s most talked about footballers. In 2016, with three final defeats in as many years, things boiled over in the South American country. They could not accept defeat after defeat when they have the world’s best footballer in the team. Videos showed Argentine fans clearly directing anger at Messi. Some of them burned an Argentina shirt with Messi’s name on the back. A statue in Buenos Aires of the superstar was also vandalized by Argentines fed up with their national team not living up to expectations. The entire head and upper body were suddenly gone. So the fans’ frustration reached Messi’s own home. Because when the fury against him was at its greatest in his home country, he got a question from his son: “Why are they slaughtering you in Argentina, dad, why?” Messi was more intense than usual when he talked about the conversation with his son. He said he was fed up with the treatment he and his Argentine teammates received in his home country. He couldn’t hold it in any longer, and delivered a thunderous speech: – It has become a matter of habit to say things about me. Lots of lies and made up stuff. It makes me angry, because people believe it, the Argentine grumbled. BRUTAL REACTION: Messi was unpopular in Argentina after losing three finals in three years, then withdrawing from the national team. Photo: MARCOS BRINDICCI / Reuters As he conducted this interview, he was still loved above all others in Barcelona. Nothing had yet gone wrong there, and he had shot them to title after title. Four Champions League titles, and the club was at times at a level no other club had perhaps ever been, much because of Messi. How did the contrast become so great? – Messi is the norm In his home country, there is usually one man Messi is compared to. There is another “Messiah” in Diego Maradona. The man who led the Argentines to euphoria when they won the World Cup final against West Germany in 1986. He was immortalized after scoring with the “Hand of God” and an iconic solo raid against England. That it happened in the wake of the Falklands War gave the goals and the victory against the English an extra dimension. WORLD CHAMPION: Diego Maradona led his Argentina to the World Cup title in Mexico in 1986. Photo: Carlo Fumagalli / AP Moreover, many believe that his personality is an important factor when he is compared to Messi. – Messi is more of an ordinary person. He is normal, says football agent Terje Liverød, who has lived in Argentina and various places in South America for a number of years. Maradona, on the other hand, was anything but normal. Drug use, mafia connections and fighting against Fifa were some of the things that characterized his life outside the pitch. – Maradona has said: “Think how good I could be if I didn’t have the meat”, says Terje Liverød, who has worked as a scout and has also been good friends with Maradona. Messi, for his part, has tried to keep a low profile, and he himself says that being in the center takes more than it gives. He simply feels that the Argentines will always have an opinion about him, and that they question much of what he does. – Being Messi has its negative sides. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t famous. I don’t like being in the spotlight or feeling like people are looking at me, he says himself to Movistar Plus. The working class and the middle class Another reason why many Argentinians hold Maradona over Messi is about where they come from. You may hear that “Maradona is Argentine”, while Messi is “Spanish” having spent his youth and adult life in Barcelona. Maradona grew up in poor and simple conditions on the outskirts of the capital, Buenos Aires. Messi, on the other hand, grew up in the middle class, and also moved to Barcelona as a teenager and was well paid even then. – In all arenas in Argentina, except for River Plate, there are pictures of Diego. A match for peace was recently played in Diego’s name, and the first anniversary of his death was celebrated in all arenas. That will not happen with Messi, believes Liverød. With lucrative sponsorship deals and market forces that are completely different in 2022 than in 1986, Messi has a different everyday life than Maradona. A controversial club switch last summer didn’t help either. – Messi has grown to become a football capitalist. With the transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, he is quite far from the grassroots in Argentina, says football coach Viggo Strømme, who specializes in Argentine football and the South American country’s talent development. While Maradona is praised everywhere, Messi is held responsible for several final defeats. He lives in a country that here is completely fanatical when it comes to football. It’s black and white, and the press is completely different over there compared to Norway. – In Argentina it is 100 times worse. There are conspiracy theories and cases that come out of nowhere. Being critical of Messi sells newspapers, says Strømme. STAR DUO: Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. Photo: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP So close on 12 June 2014, the WC in Brazil kicked off. Argentina had an ace up their sleeve: Messi. With him on the field, they made it all the way to the final after knocking out Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the final at the mighty Maracanã, Germany awaited, who in their semi-final thrashed Brazil and won 7–1. Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge, warned that his son was very tired. He said his legs felt like they weighed 100 kilograms each. And he was more nervous than usual. The man who usually scores and assists by order felt the pressure so well that he threw up during the match. – It felt like I had a thousand exams, Messi has said. NERVES: Lionel Messi himself has said that he struggled mightily to keep his nerves in check in important matches such as the World Cup final. Photo: ODD ANDERSEN / AFP It was only almost for Argentina. In the 113th minute, German Mario Götze received a perfectly arcing ball from teammate Andre Schurrle. The ball was cushioned on the chest and tipped into the goal behind Sergio Romero. The dream of Messi and Argentina was shattered. It didn’t help that he was named the World Cup’s best player. – Taking them to the final is very impressive. If he had decided the final, he would have become extremely much bigger in Argentina, believes Viggo Strømme. SO CLOSE: Lionel Messi had his eye on the World Cup trophy in 2014, but Mario Götze and Germany stood in the way. Photo: Bao Tailiang / AP The Argentines themselves took the loss in stride in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires – at least for a while. As the party went into the night, football mobs, known as “barrabravas”, took over the scene. Stones and bottles were hurled at the police, who responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Eight police officers were injured in the clashes and around 40 soccer hooligans were arrested, according to Argentine media. The fateful penalty Already in 2015, a starving Argentina was to get another opportunity, this time in the Copa America final against Chile. Here it went to a penalty shootout at Chile’s home arena. Nerves got the better of the Argentines, but not for Messi. Of all the penalty takers, he was the only one who managed to put his penalty kick behind Chile’s goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The host nation, in turn, scored all four penalties, with former Barcelona teammate Alexis Sánchez scoring the decisive penalty. The dream came true again for Messi and Argentina. Fortunately for Messi and co. it is only a matter of a year before the possibility of revenge appears. The then 28-year-old Messi performs very well in the tournament in the USA. With a 4-0 victory over the Americans, there will be a new final in the Copa America. Also this time against Chile, and again it will be 0-0 and a penalty shootout. Arturo Vidal missed first for the Chileans. Now there was hope for Messi and Argentina. The atmosphere in the arena in New York rose with every step he took to receive the ball. On Messi’s third step, goalkeeper Bravo took a step to the right. He perceived the opportunity, and fired to the right. The problem was that there was too much power. The ball flew over the goal and hit the Argentine supporters. RARE SIGHT: Lionel Messi disappointed when it mattered most. Photo: Julio Cortez / AP A clearly angry and disappointed Messi pulled on his shirt in frustration and made the arduous journey back to his hopeful teammates. – Messi is not an outstanding penalty shooter. His statistics on penalties are below normal in the top leagues, and that is unusual for him to be, says expert on penalty kicks, Geir Jordet. Messi is not the only one who disappoints. Both the Chile and Argentina players scored two penalties, but then midfielder Lucas Biglia missed. Francisco Silva scored Chile’s last penalty, and once again there was no title for the star-studded crew. This time, Messi stole the headlines with his penalty kick. While the Chileans cheered for the second year in a row, Messi was inconsolable on the pitch. – It is Messi who is most upset after he missed the penalty kick. I have never seen him so far down in the dressing room after a match, said star striker Sergio Agüero. BROKEN: Lionel Messi sat inconsolably on the turf after missing the penalty shootout against Chile. Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP The shocking news The Argentines had their hearts broken twice in the space of an hour. Messi said enough is enough. The great Argentine said he gave up on the national team, at the age of 29. – It’s over for me, said the Barcelona star in the press zone. Many believed, or at least hoped, that Messi spoke in the heat of the match. But he didn’t. – I have decided. I’ve tried so hard. It hurts not to be a champion, he explained. The 2016 Copa America final was his third final for Argentina in as many years, and all ended in defeat – often with tears in his eyes. However, he was to regret the decision. A few weeks later, he returned, and took part in the World Cup qualifiers for the championship in Russia in 2018. Then Messi’s luck also turned. He and Argentina could finally lift a trophy in an international tournament. In 2021, he led Argentina to victory in the Copa America after beating favorites Brazil 1–0 in the final. Messi went down on his knees in tears and was embraced by his teammates immediately after the match. Shortly after, he was to receive a good and long hug from opponent and losing finalist Neymar. He realized how much it meant to his former Barcelona colleague. – After so much, a strong moment has finally reached the Argentine national team. There were so many years with so many disappointments. That’s why I cried in the last Copa America, says Messi about the moment. FINAL: Here Messi realizes he has led Argentina to Copa America victory. Photo: RICARDO MORAES / Reuters Revolver Messi now gets one last attempt to do the same as Maradona. For now, the end is near for the man with 166 caps and who has kicked off his fifth World Cup with Argentina. – Messi has a revolver aimed at his head called the World Cup. If he doesn’t win the World Cup, he will be shot and killed, Argentina’s national team coach Jorge Sampaoli said metaphorically in 2018. The Argentine national team players have already heard it. They suffered an incredible loss against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup opener. The pressure is increasing. Messi will probably have to go up a few notches to avoid another fury in his home country. Now he has more pressure on his shoulders than in a long time. – There are no excuses. We will be more united than ever. This group is strong, and we have shown that in the past, says Messi, according to the Argentina national team’s Twitter account. Sources: NTB, Marca, Dagbladet, VG, news, TyC, Movistar Plus, ESPN



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