And once a rumour (a version, or a certainty) leaks to the press and there are a few evident signs that suggest it could be true, there's no stopping it.
That's what happened just the day before of the key clash against Brazil and it involves, arguably, the best two players in our team.
Apparentely, RIQUELME and MESSI can't stand each other.
Great! Just what we needed! Right?
A big article in Olé Wednesday edition tells the story of how Lionel and Roman won't talk to each other and how MESSI almost leaves the team a few days ago because he is mad at how RIQUELME thinks he is like MARADONA.
RIQUELME tried (not very successfuly) to deny those versions yesterday at a press conference and he was asked: "Why there are always versions of fights or clashes involving you? Why did that happen at Villarreal, at Boca and at Argentina?". He said: "It must be because there are people who invent these rumours because they don't like me".
But he didn't say: "Everything's cool with MESSI. I have no problems".
It's obvious these rumours have some truth in them.
But what will BASILE do with two players he considers as key first team stars?
I remember been told by a fellow journalist who is a close friend of mine and was in Germany working during the World Cup that it was true that RIQUELME wouldn't pass the ball to CRESPO because they didn't get along.
"Is that possible?", I thought. And I was having that impression watching Argentina in the World Cup but I choose to ignore that conspiracy theory and opted to believe what happened was just a coincidence.
But watching Argentina v. Ecuador on Sunday, I couldn't help to notice a corner kick in which both, RIQUELME and MESSI went there to take it and they spent a full minute without talking to each other, without looking at each other. VERON went there and talked to both of them. Olé's article also talks about that situation.
I hate these cat fights and I think they could be our team's worst enemy down the road.
Will these two stars leave their egos in the dressing room before they jump to the field in Belo Horizonte tonight? Or will we have to play against eleven Brazilians and against 2 of our own players too?
In a way, the fact that BASILE is the manager, gives me a little bit of hope in that he can probably lock himself down in a room with the two players and make them leave their differences behind.
Will everyone of them understand that our national team should be put before their own and over inflated egos?
I'm sure we all do!
This rumor would be true if the team were run by a bunch of middle school girls. Are you making the claim that Riquelme and Messi behave like middle school girls? For F's sake. I think that they are a little more professional than that.
ReplyDeleteCMHSL, you'd be surprised, but sometimes they don't behave as professionaly as one would imagine.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could think the same as you, but I don't.
Ahh! so much for the same bday boys and I thought they got along well. Come on guys! no one is Diego! Diego was Diego and no one will be able to replace him. But fighting over ego, my god, that's just unacceptable. I just hope they celebrate bday together and set aside their petty differences. In the meantime maybe you will be interested in the comments under this article which certainly holds a lot of truth.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=734321
Vamos Albiceleste
I don't care if they hate each other off the field, on the field they should both be willing to die for each other and for their other team mates.
ReplyDeleteBasile needs to lock these two in a room together and let their egos fight out there and not on the field. I'm tired of losing to Brazil and I know that if Roman and Lionel work TOGETHER they can create magick.
I second that, James!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! There's been a lot of cases in the past (in several sports) in which some team-mates really hated each other off the field and yet they fought for a common cause and they succeeded.
RIQUELME and MESSI should do the same.
Are they capable? That's another question!
OR
ReplyDeleteriquelme should be dropped, since he always bottles it on the big stage and ends up costing argentina (2006 champions league semi-final, world cup 2006 and copa america 2007 are three great examples. big pressure games and he's NOWHERE to be seen). messi, however, is magic. the team should be built around an attack of messi and tevez, with a number 9 between them (cruz? lisandro? milito?). and midfield should be gago and cambiasso. gago has enough passing range to make sure riquelme won't be missed.