Lionel Messi, joy and tears; Italy, once again a giant in Europe

10-12 | July

He is 34 years old. He will be 35 in June 2022. Already the initial times, those of splendor, those of sports youth, are distant and the moment of goodbye appears closer and closer on the horizon. Despite all that, Lionel Messi is still considered the best footballer in the world. And 2021 marked several milestones in his career.

It was a year of ups and downs. He won his first official title with Argentina’s senior team (on July 10), an era that bears his name (the best in the club’s history) ended at FC Barcelona with a turbulent exit generated by the erratic leadership of the leadership. Catalan (August 5), went to Paris Saint-Germain (August 10), and was awarded his seventh Ballon d’Or after voting by 180 journalists from different parts of the planet, sponsored by the magazine France Football (November 29 ).

“Argentina tips Brazil Maracanazo and is champion of the Copa América after 28 years. A solitary goal by Ángel Di María at 21 minutes was enough to end the drought and gave Messi his first trophy with the national team ”, published this newspaper about the final played on June 10 against the hosts. Thanks to four annotations and five goal passes, the Albiceleste crack was chosen as the best player of the tournament.

“Nobody asked me to play for free. They hurt me (the words of Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona), he doesn’t need to say that, it’s like getting the ball off you and not assuming its consequences, or taking charge of things. This makes people think or generates a type of doubts that I think I do not deserve ”, said Messi on his departure from Barça when the board tried to hold him responsible for the separation.

And if in America the best on the continent was Argentina, on the other side of the Atlantic the Eurocup gave back to Italy the greatness lost in that contest, which it had not won since 1968.

Penalties, the greatest enemy in the recent history of the English team, punished England (3-2) and lifted the flight of Italy, which won the second European Championship in its history and rises to the Wembley fans after 1- 1 in regulation time. During the shooting, the goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnaruma dressed as a hero, saved two penalties in the shoot-out and sang the Italian anthem in the English temple.

The first European Championship for Italy since 1968, the one that denies England glory 55 years after its last international title, resulted in a final in style. The defeat was a stab to the heart of England. (D)