Luis Enrique on Messi

15 Sports Monday, September 7, 2020 Hometown left deflated but still hopeful after Messi snub ‘Your dream, our hope’; No fairytale homecoming ROSARIO: Rosario had dared to dream but was giants Barcelona offered to pay for his growth hor- left disappointed after the Argentine city’s most cel- mone treatment, among other benefits. At the age of ebrated son Lionel Messi announced he was staying 10, he had been diagnosed with growth hormone at Barcelona. When Messi told the Spanish giants deficiency. “Every time there is talk of his contract last week he wanted to quit the club, some back in renewal, we fans dream, even though we know it’s his home town and at Newell’s Old Boys, the club very difficult because his reality is in Europe now,” where he played junior football, allowed themselves said Lisandro Leoni, a journalist and “Leper,” as to imagine the 33-year-old superstar returning Newell’s fans are known. “But we also know that home to play for his boyhood team. he’s a fan of this club, so we never lose hope that, at Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a some time and even if for only one season, he’ll week ago hundreds of Newell’s fans organized a wear our jersey.” joyous and colorful vehicle procession through the town under the banner: “Your dream, our hope.” But ‘Doors always open’ after 10 days of anxious waiting, there was to be no “We’ve always got that hope that Leo will wear fairytale homecoming. Despite Friday’s deflation, the Newell’s jersey, but we have a lot of respect for many Newell’s fans still believe the prodigal son will his decision,” said Roberto Mensi, part of the group one day return home. that organized the vehicle procession. “Last week’s “No one in their right mind could imagine that he event was a gesture of affection that we wanted to would come back now,” Diego Schwarzstein, an give Messi, so he would know that we love him and endocrinologist who treated Messi as a boy, told the doors here are always open.” BUENOS AIRES: View of the front pages of newspapers showing the news of Argentine Barcelona player AFP. “I’m from Rosario, a Newell’s fan and I desper- As for the club itself-a hotbed of talent that Lionel Messi, at a kiosk in Buenos Aires on September 5, 2020. — AFP ately want to see him here; but for now, it’s wishful includes the likes of renowned coaches Marcelo thinking. “I’m not frustrated that he’s not coming Bielsa, Gerardo Martino and Mauricio Pochetino, who now because it wasn’t realistic to think about this. all played for the team-it has remained tight-lipped decided to celebrate their 2017 wedding in the city, Messi also still owns his simple childhood home in a “But if he retires from football without coming to over the issue. Messi, known as “The Flea” in bringing over several Barcelona stars with them. middle class neighborhood that his friends have cov- Newell’s, then I would feel great frustration. “I hope Argentina, has always said he would love to return A few weeks ago, Messi donated 50 ventilators to ered with murals that pay tribute to Rosario’s great- that he will indulge himself-and also give us home to play for the club. Although he left Rosario 20 the city’s hospitals to help treat patients suffering est export. Newell’s were founded in 1903 and named Newell’s fans that pleasure too.” years ago, he always returns for the New Year cele- from Covid-19. He owns several homes, a luxurious after Isaac Newell, an English teacher who pioneered The diminutive Messi left Newell’s at the age of brations with his family and that of his wife Antonella apartment, an iconic bar and an exclusive country football in Argentina. They have been Argentine 13 as his family emigrated to Spain after Catalan Roccuzzo. Locals were delighted when the couple club in Rosario, the third biggest city in Argentina. champions six times, the last of those in 2013. — AFP financial difficulty, six members of the board News in brief Bartomeu’s victory resigned in protest at the way the club was being run. They included two vice-presidents, Enrique over Messi may Tombas and Emili Rousaud, the latter the one Mercedes F1 spent $442 million Bartomeu had in mind to be his successor. prove hollow There were calls for the presidential elections, LONDON: Formula One champions Mercedes originally scheduled to be held in June next year, to spent 333 million pounds ($442 million) in win- be brought forward but Bartomeu soldiered on, ning both titles last year but still reported a seemingly unperturbed. His regime has been high profit, according to the team’s published 2019 MADRID: An unexpected winner in 2015 and on blunders and low on diplomacy. Messi claimed Barcelona’s bad guy in 2020, the club’s president accounts. Mercedes are on course to win both on Friday that Bartomeu “did not keep his word” titles again this season for the seventh year in a Josep Maria Bartomeu might feel some satisfaction over an agreement to let him leave for free at the after winning his showdown with Lionel Messi. The row, with six-times world champion Lewis end of the season. Messi said in March the players Hamilton 47 points clear of his closest rival Max last year has been chaotic for Barca, even more so were “not surprised” that “people inside the club” for their president, and not just because they lost La Verstappen after seven races. The results to wanted to shift the pressure onto them over the end-December showed Mercedes made a post- Liga to Real Madrid before being humiliated by issue of pay cuts. Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Since BARCELONA: This combination of file pictures shows tax profit of 14.7 million pounds, compared with Managing Director of the multinational company a previous 12.6 million. They won 15 races last January, Bartomeu has bore the brunt of the criti- ADELTE, which specializes in engineering for ports Barcelona’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu removing cism, the Catalan businessman and a shareholder of his face mask and Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel year, including nine one-two finishes, and 32 and airports, Bartomeu’s first steps at Barcelona podium places in all. The accounts said Barcelona since he was eleven years old never far were taken in the basketball and handball sections. Messi reacting prior to the UEFA Champions League from controversy. match. Lionel Messi said he will stay at Barcelona but Mercedes had enjoyed a 23.6% share of televi- He had even played basketball for some of Barca’s sion coverage, generating a cumulative television His appointment of Quique Setien as coach in only because the club’s president Josep Maria youth teams before joining city rivals Espanyol and advertising value equivalent (AVE) of $5.406 January was a disappointment, with fans awaiting Bartomeu broke his word to let him leave. — AFP his connection to the sport helped him return to billion for commercial partners. — Reuters the return of their legendary former midfielder Xavi Camp Nou in 2003. Hernandez to replace the clumsily dismissed more conservative approach associated with Josep Ernesto Valverde. Then in February, the club had to Billion euros on transfers Lluis Nunez, the president who sacked Cruyff as deny it was at the root of a social media campaign So did his long friendship with Sandro Rosell, coach in 1996. Red Bulls name interim coach to criticise those sceptical of the board, including with the pair forming part of Joan Laporta’s suc- But in January 2014, Rosell resigned as he faced NEW YORK: Bradley Carnell, a starting defender key players, in order to improve the image of the cessful bid for the presidency, only to be removed in charges of corruption over the transfer of Neymar for South Africa’s 2002 World Cup squad, was president. 2005 as splits over the direction of the club from Santos for which he would later be jailed, leav- named interim coach of the New York Red Bulls on An audit report from PricewaterhouseCoopers emerged. But in 2010, when Rosell bid for the top ing Bartomeu to assume the interim presidency. Saturday by the Major League Soccer club. concluded “no corrupt behavior” took place but a job himself, he included Bartomeu as his vice-presi- After a triumphant year in 2015 saw Barcelona win Carnell replaces former US midfielder Chris Armas, judicial investigation is ongoing, with the total dent, winning the elections with 61 per cent of the the treble with the trident - Messi, Neymar and Luis who was fired Friday after the team suffered four amount paid allegedly six times higher than the “socio” vote. Together, they began expunging the Suarez - Bartomeu rode the tide of goodwill to won losses and a draw in six matches, being outscored market price. And then in March, at the start of the club of those linked to the philosophies of Laporta, the election the following summer with 54 per cent 7-3 in the span with no more than one goal in any coronavirus pandemic and with the club in serious Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola, instead favouring a of the vote. — AFP match. The 43-year-old from Johannesburg had been an assistant with the US side since March Harry Kane had an early goal wrongly ruled out 2017 after previously serving as an assistant coach European for offside before Kyle Walker was sent-off for two Luis Enrique on for the Orlando Pirates in South Africa’s Premier bookable offences 20 minutes from time.

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