Lionel Messi - Rare and Funny Incidents

The usual stats of The Flea about the number of goals scored, number of assists and the Balon D’or count are by itself very rare for the human race. However, we shall get into something rarer than that to read. I happened find many interesting and funny incidents in Messi’s life and thought of compiling them for the fans to see another side of this little magician. Here they are:

Ø In 1993, a 6-year-old Messi went to the Newell’s stadium and watched one the greatest ever legends, Diego Maradona, debuting in Newell’s colors against Emelec and cheered for him. During 1994 on many occasions the club would ask Messi to do some keepy-uppies and he would do it with a smile as the crowd sang out “Maradoo, Maradoo.”

Ø The first meeting between Kun Aguero and Messi was during the Under 20 World Cup. Except for Kun, everyone in the squad had known about Messi’s prowess at Barca. As the two of them were the youngest in the squad, they were put together in the same room. They matched up equally against each other in play station when they were alone in their room. Gerardo Salorio was the one to set up the Leo-Kun combo. At late night, Salorio would get call to his room and it would be the kids. Kun would say, “I can hear noises, am afraid.” And his reply would be, “Go to sleep, you pain in the arse. Nothing is happening.”

Ø Messi never liked to lose. In his younger days, whenever he lost at a game of cards to his family members, he would throw up the cards and start creating a scene or invariably start crying. This dislike for losing seems to continue till date although his reactions are more humble now.

Ø The story of Messi’s delayed singing in La Masia which ended up giving him a contract in a napkin is known to everyone. But stories involving the prankster Pique and the shy Messi are always the funniest episode in his tenure at Masia. The junior side having Pique, Cesc, Vasquez and Messi lead by Tito Vilanova was invited to compete for the Maestrelli trophy in Pisa. Pique took all things of Leo, his PS, his clothes, his bed and hid them while Messi was away. When Leo returned to his room, he saw it was empty. He stared for sometime and started to cry uncontrollably, throwing himself to the ground. Pique, who was hiding with the others, recorded the event in his phone and returned the things to him, laughing mischievously. From then on the shy Messi started interacting more and more with the lads.

Ø Nike came to Barca for taking a commercial ad with the youth players like Jonathan Dos Santos, Ricardo and Isma. The last to come out in the ad was Messi and his words were: “Remember my name – Leo Messi.”

Ø Barcelona would usually start their training sessions with Rondo. They had two circles, one having the Spaniards like Xavi and Iniesta and other having the Brazilians like Ronaldinho, Sylvinho and Deco. When Messi arrived for the first time, Ronaldinho called him up straight away and asked him to participate in the Brazilian circle. Leo never left them, until they were all transferred out of  Barcelona.

Ø Football tennis was one of Leo’s favorite pastimes. It all started with Ronaldinho and Sylvinho at Barca. They marked lines on the floor of the gym or any training space available and strapped a bandage across for the net. The first to reach 11 points was declared the winner. Sylvinho was so good at it that he would beat King Ronnie and became the king of football tennis. And then Messi arrived. He would put the ball in the same column across the net, which happened to be the only space Sylvinho could not cover. This is how Messi became the new leader of football tennis.

Ø  In game against Albacete, there was a big drama before the substitution of Messi. Eto’o was asked to come off, but he signaled he had no intention to be subbed off. Messi was the one to replace him. Three minutes were left and Eto’o went straight back to the dressing room  and started kicking everything in frustration. Back in the field, Dinho came to Messi and said, “ I’m going to pass the ball to you and you are going to score and you will be the one in the headlines tomorrow.” When he kept up his part of the bargain, Messi ensured that the goal was put in, only to be wrongly ruled out as an offside by the referee. During the extra time, Ronnie gave a magical lob and Messi lobbed it over the goalkeeper, Valbuena, to score his first goal ever for Barcelona. Ronnie lifted him on his back after the goal to signifying the arrival of Messi. The next day, El Diego called up Messi and congratulated him.

Ø Messi and Ronaldinho watched lot of NBA games and practiced certain tricks used in NBA. They ended up teasing everyone with their uniquely skilled moves. The goal against Albacete was one such occasion of merging certain aspects of Basketball into football. (And no, this does not include Leo’s only handball – goal.)

Ø   Around the time when Dinho had left Barcelona for Milan,  Messi announced this at a press conference - “He is best footballer I have ever played with and he will always remain so.”  On August 2008, Argentina played Brasil at the Olympics Semi-finals. Argentina won the game 3-0 and after the final whistle was blown, Messi and Ronaldinho hugged each other affectionately which will remain in the memory of all the fans of the two of the greatest footballers they've seen to grace the game.