FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Not judged by a penalty, but by an era
It couldn't end like this. And, in fact, it didn't.
The greatest footballer of all time could not leave the stage with a missed penalty. Because, unfortunately, Francesco De Gregori is not entirely right when he sings that a footballer is not judged by these details. When Messi weakly hit the potential equalizer, in a 1/8 match that was turning into a dramatic one, we all thought of the penalty he had missed against Austria; but he was immediately redeemed with a double.
The match with Egypt seemed doomed and Messi unrecognizable. Then, when everything seemed lost, when his younger teammates seemed to have given up, the almost 40-year-old first provided Romero with the assist for the first goal, then moved to the right wing, opened the Egyptian defense like the Red Sea and sent a ball into the center that Lautaro wasted in a way that, out of respect for Inter fans, we prefer not to define. But fate had reserved another opportunity. And Messi took full advantage of it, with the left one on the counterattack that expanded the hearts of all those who love football around the world. Afterwards, his long tears seemed endless, just as this champion is endless.
His career is not only read through the almost inhuman figures of assists, goals, free kicks and his inventions. Messi showed the world that everything is possible, that each of us has our own talent and that sooner or later we will have the opportunity to show it. And football is the most beautiful sport in the world precisely because a short boy, whom no one wanted to activate, became the greatest champion.
Of course, accepting the end of a sporting career is extremely difficult. Even Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait until he was practically at the limit of his strength to say goodbye. The same goes for many other champions in various sports. Björn Borg retired at the age of 26, but then tried an impossible comeback; Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal waited until they could no longer retire; now it remains to be seen how the story of Novak Djokovic will end. Could Messi have retired earlier, at the peak of his career? Maybe. But it would not have been generous, it would not have been in his nature. Because behind the cold, almost disinterested appearance, Leo Messi is a passionate man. In the final lost at the Maracana against Germany, he vomited on the pitch from tension. For a long time he could not free himself from the white and blue jersey of Argentina. But without him, Argentina would never have become world champions in Qatar, just as without Maradona they would never have won the World Cup in Mexico.
When Diego said that one day another number 10 would come to wear the Argentina jersey to perform miracles, it seemed prophetic. We are not as optimistic. We will never have such a champion again. And one day we will be able to say that we were lucky to live, follow and love sport in the era of Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Lionel Messi. / Adapted from "Corriere Della Sera"
Lini një Përgjigje