Messi, proud of Barcelona

Leo Messi received us with a smile, a relaxed face and an open and jovial attitude. From the first minute, everything flowed. We laughed a little, maybe it's his way of saying that he's happy, that he feels comfortable. We were with him for a while, longer than planned and, maybe as happens on the pitch, you get the feeling that he's in charge of time, that he manages the seconds in his own dimension. And there's something surprising, unusual, from the first question. Leo listens attentively, his face fixed, concentrated, and responds exactly to what he's asked. That's to say, he listens, processes and thinks. At no moment did he reply with something he'd already thought about, but always about what he'd been asked, naturally. In reality, everything circulated around football, in a simple and intelligent way. 

In the interview with SPORT, there's an important moment when, asked if he's ever had tough moments at Barça, he remembers some of the hard times and he speaks, for the first time, about being fined by the tax office, something he attributes to a campaign from Madrid. And he says it with absolute clarity: "There was an order to attack me from Madrid and to take advantage of a moment of weakness." It's a strong comment, and the first he's made on what he refers to as "the mess with the tax office" after many years. However, the most relevant is what comes next: "I felt the support of Barcelona, Catalonia and the journalism here." That's to say, Leo is grateful and hasn't forgot who attacked him and who supported him. Maybe for that reason it's no coincidence that in the same interview he confesses, for example, that he likes pan con tomate, that his kids speak Catalan and that "in the first three or four years in Barcelona, I was just another tourist." 

For the first time since he arrived, Messi explains to SPORT the special relationship he has with Barcelona, the place where he's spent the most years of his life. That he speaks with pride about Barcelona is, at the same time, an honour for the city. Barcelona is a tireless city, but every now and again it's good that we say out loud that it's also the city of Messi, where he feels loved and respected. For those that use that name to throw insults. Above all, in football.