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The one time that Juan Sebastian Veron saw Lionel Messi 'truly scared'

With the Copa America semi-final to take place on Wednesday, attention turns - as it usually does...



Soccer

The one time that Juan Sebastian Veron saw Lionel Messi 'truly scared'


With the Copa America semi-final to take place on Wednesday, attention turns - as it usually does - to Lionel Messi is an Argentina shirt.

La Albiceleste take on Colombia in a game that will whet the appetite of any football fan, particularly as it will likely feature an Argentina with a fully-engaged and motivated Messi.

But heavy is the head that wears the crown.

While tedious arguments rage as to whether it is a garland shared by he and Cristiano Ronaldo, journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo let us know why Messi can be deemed to not enjoy the corollaries of being arguably the world's greatest.

Messi's moment of fear

"Whatever makes him tick, we don't really know what that is, and it is not clear that has been found completely in Argentina," Marcela says.

"Whereas at one time he seemed to have that with Barcelona, it's not clear that he has got it there now either.

"I remember Seba Veron, who was playing in the 2010 World Cup with Messi and shared a room with him, said the only time he saw Messi truly, truly scared and worried was when he was given the captaincy and thought he had to speak to the players.

"Veron said that he didn't sleep all night and he was just pacing the room, saying 'I can't speak to the players, I can't speak to the players..'

"Since then there are always rumours that he doesn't speak or he is unhappy, or some people say if he hangs his head low that it means something. We are all trying to decode Messi and I think that, whereas he is a little more comfortable in the role of captain, I can't imagine him suddenly leading the group in a particularly new way.

"He is who he is and that is almost what makes him quite so interesting and unusual, and certainly very different to characters like Maradona and Pele who are the massive legends of the continent."

Shambles

Mora y Araujo believes that Messi's relationship with Argentina duty has often been pockmarked by administrative shambles.

"It is slightly reminiscent of the 2016 Copa America which had been an organisational shambles and Messi has been quite outspoken against the football association, the powers-that-be and the organisation throughout.

"He was visibly happy and then when they lost the final, he just burst out 'I'm quitting forever' and it was world headline news. He has been lured back but no-one is ever sure by how much against his will or through coercion.

"Ever since then, every appointment of an Argentina manager - and the entire federation has been through several cycles of presidents - the number one priority has been to make Messi happy.

"Lionel Scaloni, who is manager at the moment, has started off with one starting player and everyone else is up for grabs - and that's Messi."

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