Leo Messi – Retarded Genius?

by Adrian
(Arizona)

Leo Messi in last few months of the previous soccer season amazed, and then disgusted the whole soccer world. At first there were three beautiful goals scored on Real Madrid, then a dream-goal against Getafe and at last goal scored with the hand against Espanyol, something totally opposite to a Fair Play.

Young Argentinean showed the world his two sides. Unfortunately his shameful act during the game against Espanyol will be remembered for as long as his outstanding goal against Getafe and will hang over his reputation and image.

What's even worse, he didn't show any remorse after the game.

"The only thing I regret is that the goal didn't give us three points", said Messi the next day, embarrassing himself completely.

Then he added that Barcelona should set an offer to Mallorca's players for every point taken away from Real Madrid in the last game of the season, which would grant Barcelona Spanish Liga championship title.

Why does he behave in such a weak-minded way?

I suppose the key to understand Messi's mentality lays in his childhood and the way he was brought up and in the worship of Maradona, Messi's biggest idol and hero.

Spoiled and Pampered

When parents of Messi had realized how big of a soccer talent their son possesses, they dropped the interest of their son's intellectual and spiritual development. They shifted all their affords towards Messi's soccer career.

Everyday his father Jorge was driving his son to 30 miles far away from home Newell's Old Boys Rosario club, not letting him skip even one practice.

At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. After River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness, Messi's father found a job in Spain and moved to Barcelona with the whole family.

Soon after arrival to Europe he introduced his young son to Barcelona's youth coaches. Barcelona signed Messi to club's youth teams and offered to pay all medical bills related to his illness.

Unfortunately Messi's parents had a completely different approach to young boy's responsibilities at school and at home then to his soccer duties.

Leo remembers: "I didn't have to ditch the school. If I didn't want to go I'd tell my mom I need to sleep little longer to be well rested for my soccer practice. She always agreed."

His brothers Matias and Rodrigo had to help with everything around the house.
Leo was supposed to only play soccer.

Today Messi lives only with his father and according to Messi, everyday he wakes him up, fix him a breakfast, drives him to and from the club, cooks and serve him an Argentinean dinner.

And Leo after practice doesn't do anything, because he doesn't have interest of anything. He doesn't go to any school, doesn't read, and doesn't even spend time on the computer or play video games.

Whereas he sleeps a lot and only sometimes he meets with his friend from Espanyol, Pablo Zabaleta.

Does a young man living like that, kept in the bubble, separated from reality have a good chance to become a well-rounded person with healthy system of values?

Defective Role Model

Desire to imitating the Heavenly Diego needs to be added as well.
Unfortunately Argentineans treat Maradona uncritically. All young soccer players, and actually everyone in Argentina emphasize the greatness of Maradona without mentioning that off the field he was and is rather modest and worthless.

He doesn't come thru as a good husband and father, couldn't stay away from drugs, persistently keeps his friendship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, agreed for money to sing Brazilian anthem wearing Canarinhos' jersey.

Of course nobody has guts to mention that his hand-goal in 1986 World Cup was a dishonest and undeserved achievement.

Unfortunately it seems that the Great Diego caused more harm than good for the whole generation of young soccer players in Argentina that remain in belief that in life nothing counts but soccer, that great soccer players are allowed to do anything without any consequences.

So what kind of future is awaiting for life-skill less and value-less Leo Messi?

Could it be the great future?
Maybe because of his separation from real life, it wouldn’t be ever possible for him to burn mentally, even under the biggest pressure.

Maybe… he might not feel much...