Hopefully Messi won’t follow in Ronaldinho’s steps
Columnist By Tony Tannous, 9 Apr 2010 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Barcelona football, football, La Masia, lioneal messi, World Football
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi of Argentina reacts after scoring his third goal against Arsenal. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
Just over four years ago, I watched, rather gob-smacked, an 18 year old Argentine kid, a product of the Barcelona’s famous youth academy, La Masia, absolutely toy with and destroy three defenders in one Champions League game at Stamford Bridge.
One, Chelsea’s Spanish left back Asier del Horno, was so embarrassed by the little dynamo he was left with no choice but the lunge out recklessly and earn himself a red card.
Del Horno had been chasing shadows for much of the first leg of the round of 16 clash, and simple couldn’t get close to Lionel Messi.
Far from a dirty player, del Horno was in complete panic. Clueless. He has barely been sighted since.
Even when he was announcing his arrival to the world, as he was that night, Messi was destroying defenders. Paulo Ferreira and Geremi each had a turn following del Horno’s send-off, and didn’t fare any better.
The beauty of his performance that night is that he did it on an absolute cow-paddock.
And he wasn’t alone.
The Barcelona side that night featured the then world number one, Ronaldinho, and what an incredible performance he produced with his dribbling and dancing. He had the ball, and the game, on a string.
For those of you keen on a trip down memory lane, here is my review of the match, one of my first on The Round Ball Analyst.
At the time, on the back of two world player of the year awards, two domestic titles for Barcelona and having already won the World Cup in 2002, he was starting to be talked about in Spain as one of “the six greats” along with Alfredo Di Stefano, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Maradona and Zinedine Zidane.
The only thing missing at the time was the ‘trophy with big ears’, as the Champions League is affectionately known, which he addressed a couple of months later in the final against Arsenal.
Heading into Germany 2006, if Ronaldinho could influence the favourites Brazilian to a second straight World Cup, and then continue to be an influence at club level, he would surely go down as one of the six.
At the time he was rather modest about his status in the world game, famously saying at one point that he wasn’t even the best player at Barcelona (he had the young Messi in mind). How prophetic those comments look now.
What happened next must surely be one of the greatest mysteries and saddest wastes of talent in the history of the game.
A failed World Cup under the conservative Carlos Alberto Pereira, a strangely muted Ronaldinho, and then the downward spiral.
Ronaldinho went home, partied hard, apparently put on weight, started missing training sessions and never again looked the same player, for club or country.
He looked shot, completely burnt out, and the Barca fans turned on him. After two disruptive, self-destructive seasons, Ronaldinho moved on.
While, today, he produces sporadic “wow” moments at AC Milan, more often the world has been left thinking “why, oh why?”
Messi is now the King of Catalonia and world football.
As we marvel at yet another breathtaking display at the Nou Camp this week, and comparisons with the all-time greats re-surface, the only hope is that Messi doesn’t go down the path of his predecessor.
The hope is that he does influence Argentina in a big way in South Africa, and continues to produce the goods for years to come.
Recommend this story.
Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- Barcelona football, football, La Masia, lioneal messi, World Football
April 9th 2010 @ 4:44pm
Tony Tannous said | April 9th 2010 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
Frank, thanks for the comment, an excellent one..
For the three or four years leading up to the Champions League success in 2006, everything the bloke touched turned to gold. He was untouchable and unplayable. I think the bright lights just got to Ronaldinho. He didn’t handle it well.
If he’s frank (paron the pun Frank), his memoirs will make for some reading, possibly titled “Boy did I screw up”.
And I think you’re spot on in your analysis of Messi alongside Zizou….both very humble, and footballers before they are show-men.
Let’s hope Messi is free of distractions, and allowed to focus on football.
As to the point about winning a world cup, I think that Pele and Maradona, especially, reached ultimate greatness because of what they did at the World’s showpiece. Add Zizou to that list.
It’s a different world today of course, where we can just about watch every game Messi plays, scrutinising his every touch. But, epsecially for a country like Argentina, which has struggled of late in Wolrd Cups, if Messi can win one for them, he goes up a level or two.
April 9th 2010 @ 5:38pm
Rellum said | April 9th 2010 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
Ronaldo during his time at inter was a better player than Messi is now in my humble opinion. From my very distant vantage point Messi does seem to have the mental qualities to carry on for a improving and possibly going on to join the greats. I hope he doesn’t suffer the injury that would destroy his career.
April 10th 2010 @ 2:01pm
clayton said | April 10th 2010 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
The Zizou comparison is an interesting one. Zidane had his dark side. He sometimes let opponents words bring on the red mist. I think that as well as the WC Final headbutt, he stepped on an opponent`s back when he was on the ground.
I am very much a Messi fan, but he has had his moments. Perhaps he also has his dark side.
The hand of Messi.
Of course, the way he is playing at the moment, he doesn`t need to break any rules to get the win.