According to many, the opening of Leo Messi's anemic season is a direct product of the summer events. • The attempt to leave, the relationship with the president who resigned and parted ways with Suarez.
Messi is ahead of the Frantzvaros players, last week in Barcelona
Photography:
AFP
As the smoke dissipated from the Clásico on Saturday, it became clear that one statistic continued to swell to alarming huge proportions: Leo Messi, who did not score or cook in Barcelona's 1: 3 loss, closed 525 minutes without a goal or a goal for Real Madrid.
Since 2018 he has kicked her hair 16 times, six of them to the frame, and not a single ball has gone inside.
The Argentine's dry clasico has been added to Messi's opening season statistic, which is also historic in the negative sense of the word.
After six games in all competitions, the Barça captain has two goals: both from the penalty spot, and one brace.
To find another season opener in which No. 10 did not score a goal from a regular game in his first five games, one has to go back to 2005, when he even wore No. 30 on his back.
These figures, which join the past season which has been the poorest in the number of goals since, (25) 2009 attached to Messi the word that seems to be forbidden to say out loud, a real blasphemy: decline.
Yes, yes, adults and young people, commentators and journalists, Argentines and Spaniards, in every sector there are those who think we are watching the beginning of the end.
They think that Leo Messi, the greatest player in the world, is starting to abandon the Olympus on which he sits comfortably for about a decade and ascend the path that leads to the ground.
In the Clasico against Real. A retreat or a temporary crisis? // Photo: AFP
"It's still Messi"
This determination has recently crossed borders and sports, and last week even Rafael Nadal was asked about it.
"Messi is not finished! It is true that he had better times, but he is still Messi the best player in the world," said the Roland Garros champion. "Football, like everything in life, has lost some interest these days. There is a serious opponent here who is the virus."
Nadal may have tried to connect Messi's bad era to the absurd situation that football was in the Corona era, but it seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.
According to many, the opening of the Argentine's anemic season is a direct product of summer events.
The unsuccessful attempt to leave, the severely damaged relations with President Bartomeu, and above all the departure of Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan was Messi's best friend, on and off the pitch, and the move to Madrid actually left the captain without anyone to lean on.
Throughout his years at Barça Leo has always held a close friend - Mascherano, Pinto, Neymar, Suarez - and now he is alone.
On the grass, too, he has no player other than Jordi Alba whom he knows with his eyes closed, and the attempt to create synergy with Anso Patti, Pedry, Trinkau and others is also taking its toll at this stage of the season.
It should also be remembered that Messi, 33, has been playing at the highest levels non-stop for 15 years, and it is not inconceivable that age is doing its part as well.
The thing is, Barça was not prepared for that.
In the eyes of President Joseph Bartomeu, the Argentine is a guarantee of success even if he is in the club on a hostage standard.
"I wanted to keep it as part of the new project," he said yesterday before resigning.
With Suarez. Departure that hit the flea // Photo: Reuters
Messi has already shown that he is capable of carrying lame projects on his back, but at the moment it seems that he is not interested and may not even be able to.
Without his usual contribution Barcelona are faltering at the bottom of the table, which is not what coach Ronald Koeman imagined it would be when he left the Netherlands for the dream of his life.
"Messi's contribution could be bigger," said the Dutchman recently, who apparently thought the Argentine was an emotionless robot.
A few days later Koeman had already spoken differently when he said "I have no doubts about his contribution, I am pleased with him", but the message has already passed.
"I would not act like the president, so I ask Messi to last another season," Gerard Pique said.
Messi, at the moment, is having a hard time holding out, and when that happens Barcelona is also suffering.
It seems that in order to start this season, the Argentine needs to be convinced that there is someone to work with and with whom.
Barcelona have not yet managed to do that, it is doubtful that Juventus (without Cristiano Ronaldo who are still positive for the Corona virus) will succeed, but perhaps the defining moment of the season in general is in the knowledge that you will read here in a moment.