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Tag: Lionel Messi

  • Player of the Month: Messi levels up with Ronaldo

    Player of the Month: Messi levels up with Ronaldo

     

    Lionel Messi has netted 51 times in 49 appearances this season, and has a huge 504 goals in his Barcelona career – the most in the club’s history.

    With that said, it may come as a surprise that Friday saw the Argentine win La Liga’s Player of the Month award for only the SECOND time in his career.

    Since its inception in 2013, Barcelona and Real Madrid players have rarely picked up the trophy, but Messi did this week manage to get his hands on it.

    The 29-year-old earned the April accolade after scoring eight goals in six league games, made up of braces against Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and Osasuna.

    Messi’s double against Real Madrid ensures the La Liga title race remains well and truly alive, with the two sides level on points going into the final few games.

    Messi has 35 La Liga goals to his name so far in the current campaign, making him far and away the leading marksman in Spain.

    Suarez, his Barcelona team-mate, is the next nearest with 27, while Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has 20.

    Messi previously won the Player of the Month award in January 2016, the first time he had secured the triumph.

    That month, he scored just six goals taking Barcelona to the top of the La Liga tree.

    His April 2017 win takes him level on two with Ronaldo for overall wins, while Antoine Griezmann has won it the most with four.

  • Lionel Messi Set to Wed

    Lionel Messi Set to Wed

    Football icon, Lionel Messi and Antonella Rocuzzo have announced their forthcoming wedding next month.

    The pair will be married on June 30 in their hometown of Rosario in Argentina.

    The Barcelona star and Antonella have been together for the past ten years and have two sons together.

    Messi and Antonella with their two sons (Twitter)
    The couple have been together for 10 years (Metro)

    They plan to have a second ceremony in Barcelona as some of his teammates and numerous friends in Spain would not be able to make the 6,500-mile trip to Argentina for the first ceremony.

    The ceremony in the couple’s home town has been planned to hold at the Rosario Cathedral where the Argentine captain would say “I do” to his fiancee in front of 600 guests.

    The Rosario Cathedral where the ceremony will hold (UK Sun)

    The guests will then be invited to party in the suburb of Arroyo Seco, where the couple stay whenever they return to home to Argentina for holidays.

    And according to Catalan TV show Arucitys de la cadena 8TV, the couple will then have a second ceremony in the city where Messi made his name, for friends who can’t make it to Argentina.

    Here is Leo and his bride-to-be in a selfie before they head out to a party (UK Sun)

    A lot has not been said about the other ceremony in Spain except that the same catering company that handled the wedding of one of Messi’s former teammates, Carles Puyol will provide food and drinks for guests at the ceremony.

    Carles Puyol and Messi (goal)

    Leo and his bride-to-be are expected to head out to their honeymoon at an unannounced location before the baller joins up with the rest of his teammates in July.

  • Lionel Messi Look-alike Causing Chaos in Iran

    Lionel Messi Look-alike Causing Chaos in Iran

    The thing is, Parastesh doesn’t actually play soccer. He has announced that he’ll try to learn to juggle, however, to better imitate Messi.

    Parastesh’s father sounds like a piece of work, by the way. He apparently was so angry that Messi’s injury-time goal knocked Iran out of the 2014 World Cup that he told his son to stay away. “After the game, my dad called me and said: ‘Don’t come back home tonight. Why did you score a goal against Iran?’ ” Parashesh told AFP. “I said, ‘But that wasn’t me!’ ”

    The student hopes to parlay his new fame, and the demand for selfies wherever he goes, into a job working for Messi himself. “Being the best player in footballing history, he definitely has more work than he can handle,” he said. “I could be his representative when he is too busy.”

    Good luck with that.

    The decision to fire FBI director James Comey was made by the White House and senior Justice Department officials based on actions by Comey that had been publicly known for months — and without waiting for the conclusion of a Justice Department inspector general review of his conduct that was far from complete, a department official confirms to Yahoo News.

    “Our review is ongoing,” said John Lavinsky, a spokesman for inspector general Michael Horowitz, adding that the review announced by Horowitz in January is expected to take up to a year to complete.

    The disclosure that the inspector general’s review is ongoing, and far from finished, raises further questions about why Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein chose to recommend Comey’s firing now, before any official findings by department investigators. There were immediate questions about whether the action was triggered byComey’s role in investigating Russian meddling in last year’s election — and into whether there were links between Trump campaign associates and the Kremlin.

    “Given that Director Comey was responsible for the Russia investigation, it’s extremely concerning that the president would decide to fire him where there has been no indication he has done anything to justify it,” said Matt Olsen, a former senior Justice Department official under President Obama.

    “The president’s actions today are shocking,” said Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, that is itself investigating the Russian issue. “It is deeply troubling that the president has fired the FBI director during an active counterintelligence investigation into improper contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.”

    The inspector general’s review is focused on a number of issues relating to last year’s presidential election, including Comey’s public statement last July laying out his reasons not to recommend a prosecution of Hillary Clinton over her use of private email server, and the letter he sent in October informing Congress that the bureau was revisiting the issue.

    Those factors were cited by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a memo released Tuesday night, calling Comey’s conduct a violation of long-standing department principles. “The way the director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong,” Rosenstein wrote. “As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them.”

    Comey had sought to defend his conduct in Senate testimony last week. When the bureau discovered the existence of Clinton emails on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, Comey said he had to decide whether to speak about the new evidence or conceal it from Congress despite his pledge to inform committees of any new developments in the case. In his memo, Rosenstein took strong exception to Comey’s explanation, writing that “‘conceal’ is a loaded term that misstates the issue. When federal agents and prosecutors quietly open a criminal investigation, we are not concealing anything, we are simply following long-standing policy that we refrain from publicizing nonpublic information.”

    Comey also testified last week that he had already been interviewed by the inspector general’s investigators and expected to be again. But sources familiar with the probe say other key players involved in the controversy — including senior Justice Department officials — had not even been interviewed for the probe.

    Whether Trump’s support from Congressional Republicans holds in the wake of Comey’s ouster remains to be seen. Senator Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said he was “troubled by the timing and reasoning” behind Comey’s firing and that his dismissal “further confuses an already difficult investigation by the committee.”
  • Iranian student arrested for looking like Messi

    Iranian student arrested for looking like Messi

     

    An  Iranian student looks so much like his sporting idol Lionel Messi that it almost landed him in jail for disrupting public order.

    So many people came out to take selfies with Reza Parastesh in the western city of Hamedan over the weekend that police rushed him into a station and impounded his car to stop the chaos and clear traffic.

    The resemblance is so uncanny that some leading news outlets have reportedly used his photo when talking about the real Messi.

    The student has perfected his Lionel Messi look, and with the attacker now sporting nis natural brown hair having ditched the blonde look, Reza looks even more like the Argentinian

    The student was reluctant at first, but eventually grew into the role, wearing the Barcelona strip out in public, growing his hair and beard to match the footballer and carrying a ball

    The furore began a few months ago when Reza’s football-mad father pressured the 25-year-old into posing in a number 10 Barcelona jersey.

    They sent the pictures off to a sports website, and got an immediate reply asking him to drop in to see them.

    ‘I sent them one night and by the morning they had called me and said I should come in quickly for an interview,’ he said.

    Despite his early reluctance, Reza soon grew into his new role, cutting his hair like Messi and often donning the Barca jersey when he goes out.

    It has paid off – he is fully booked with media interviews and has even landed modelling contracts.

    ‘Now people really see me as the Iranian Messi and want me to mimic everything he does.

    ‘When I show up somewhere, people are really shocked,’ he said.

    Iranians are obsessed with football, and Reza finds himself constantly besieged by fans looking for a selfie.

    ‘I’m really happy that seeing me makes them happy and this happiness gives me a lot of energy,’ he added.

    The Messi lookalike loves football, but has never played professionally, so to up his game he is working on some tricks to make his act more believable.

    The relationship has not always been a smooth one between the student and the global superstar.

    During the last game between Iran and Argentina at the World Cup in 2014, Messi’s 91st-minute goal robbed the Islamic republic of a place in the last 16

    ‘After the game, my dad called me and said, “Don’t come back home tonight – why did you score a goal against Iran?”, the lookalike said.

    ‘I said: “But that wasn’t me!”,’ he said jokingly.

    His goal now is to meet his hero in Barcelona, and maybe even land a job as his understudy.

    ‘Being the best player in footballing history, he definitely has more work than he can handle.

    ‘I could be his representative when he is too busy,’ Reza said.

  • Messi rejects Barca’s new 30m a year contract

    Messi rejects Barca’s new 30m a year contract

    Lionel Messi has turned down Barcelona’s offer of a new contract worth between £25m-30m a year, according to Spanish daily sports newspaper AS

    The Argentine superstar’s contract at the Nou Camp expires in June 2018 and discussions over a new deal have been ongoing for months.

    Talks between Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, and the club president Josep Maria Bartomeu have yet to yield an agreement for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future.

    But despite the initial contract rejection, AS report that a deal is still likely to be struck over the coming weeks.

    Negotiations are very much still ongoing and there is an expectation that the two parties will find common ground eventually to seal a new deal.

    Messi expects to receive an improved offer from Barcelona and is prepared to hold out – especially given the recent contracts given to team-mates Luis Suarez and Neymar

    The Argentine, who has four goals in his last three matches, is therefore happy to wait before tying his future down at the Catalan club.

    Only few days ago FIFA lifted  four match ban on the 29 year old striker making it possible for him to be available for Argentina’s next world cup qualifier against Uruguay on August 31.

  • Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    You can see the expression right in his face, the mood through which he waves his hand towards the Santiago bernabeu fans making them to understand his ability and credibility in front of a goal post which you never know when he can unleash his wrath upon your team; whether you agree with me or not, Cristiano Ronaldo’s age does not determine whether he will stop scoring goals and most especially the one that can destabilize the morale of the opponent. Even Antoine Griezmann shook his head when he scored his second goal against Atletico Madrid; therefore, he cannot be overlooked and you can’t joke with him when he is in the 18 yard box.

    He may have been experiencing what I like to call a footballer’s nightmare. His struggles to find the back of the net seemed an almost impossible and implausible expectation.

    He is arguably one the finest footballers the world of soccer will ever produce. Scoring 103 European  goals; even Atletico Madrid can only brag of 100 European goals since its inception. Lionel Messi, his arch rival, is still struggling with 96 goals.

    Regardless of his average scoring performance this season, it will be good advice for any one never to underestimate nor belittle his ability to attain a comeback- even at the age of 32.  With his 42 hat tricks for real Madrid, 50 champions league knockout goals, and 13 semi-final goals, we cannot but celebrate the almost ethereal talent of the immaculate Ronaldo.

    With the remarkable performance of Ronaldo on Tuesday, he has proven his doubters wrong once again after netting a hat trick against Diego Simeone’s side in the semi-final of the UEFA champions league in front of his home fans; this makes it his second hat trick against Simeone’s side this season and also making him the first player to ever score a back-to-back hat trick in the knockout stages of the UEFA champions league history.

    He is indeed a god in the world of soccer; even Lionel Messi with his impressive achievements cannot but recognize Ronaldo’s amazing talent and his ubiquitous historical records.

    Finally, Ronaldo has proven his might and the full extent of his talent by not only performing his ‘hat trick magic’ on smaller teams, but preponderantly on the best of the best in the international platform of the Champions league.

    With my above postulations and overwhelming evidences, I have just one question for you: Are you still one of his enemies?

  • Messi wins appeal as FIFA wipes ban

    Messi wins appeal as FIFA wipes ban

     

    Argentina will have Lionel Messi available again with immediate effect after the remaining three matches of his four-game suspension were wiped by FIFA as his appeal against the sanction succeeded.

    Messi was handed the sanction after abusing a match official during the 1-0 victory over Chile in March, ruling him out of the 2-0 loss at Bolivia and their next three 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

    But the Barcelona forward’s representatives were confident after submitting their case at an appeal hearing in Zurich on Thursday and a FIFA statement on Friday revealed he has been successful.

    The appeal committee “considered Messi’s behaviour as reproachable” but found the evidence available was not sufficient to enforce the suspension, which the 29-year-old, Argentina and even his club side had vociferously opposed.

    “The FIFA Appeal Committee has upheld the appeal lodged by the Argentinian Football Association, on behalf of the player Lionel Messi, against the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, lifting the sanctions imposed on him as a result,” read the statement.

    “Following a hearing which took place in Zurich on 4 May 2017, the Appeal Committee has set aside the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 28 March 2017, which, in application of art. 77 a) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), had found Lionel Messi guilty of infringing art. 57 of the FDC for having directed insulting words at an assistant referee.

    “Despite the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi’s behaviour as reproachable, the former concluded that the evidence available was not sufficient to establish to the appropriate standard, i.e. to the comfortable satisfaction of the members of the Appeal Committee, that art. 77 a) of the FDC, according to which the Disciplinary Committee is responsible for sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention, could be applied.

    “The Appeal Committee nevertheless underlines the importance of always showing respect to the match officials, stressing that such a principle is essential in football and any unsporting conduct that may be contrary to the principles of fair play cannot be accepted.

    “In view of the above decision, the match suspension imposed on Lionel Messi, which entered into force on 28 March 2017, and the fine of CHF 10,000 have been lifted.”

    Captain Messi is now available for the matches against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru that he was previously banned for, along with the final game away to Ecuador.

    Argentina, who sacked Edgardo Bauza as head coach after the Bolivia loss which Messi missed, are far from certain to reach the World Cup in 2018 – they sit fifth in South American World Cup qualifying, which would only be enough for a play-off spot.

    Chile sit one point clear in fourth and final automatic qualification spot, while Ecuador are only two behind in sixth.

  • Messi’s ban lifted after appeal to FIFA

    Messi’s ban lifted after appeal to FIFA

    Lionel Messi is free to represent Argentina in their World Cup qualifiers after his four-match international ban was overturned on appeal.

    The 29-year-old Barcelona forward was suspended for insulting an assistant referee during a 1-0 win over Chile in March.

    He missed one match,Argentina’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Bolivia.

    A FIFA appeal committee said his behaviour was reproachable, but the evidence was not sufficient.

    Messi would be available for matches against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru as Argentina fight to secure a place at next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.

    A fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (7,800 pound) was also lifted.

    During the Chile game, Messi was caught on camera venting his anger at an assistant who signalled he had committed a foul.

    He was not shown a card at the time.

    The FIFA appeal committee concluded that the evidence available was not sufficient to establish an infringement had occurred.

    “The appeal committee nevertheless underlines the importance of always showing respect to the match officials, stressing that such a principle is essential in football.

    “Any unsporting conduct that may be contrary to the principles of fair play cannot be accepted,” a statement.

  • Olympic gold more than Barca titles – Messi

    Olympic gold more than Barca titles – Messi

     

    Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi values his Olympic gold medal more than his club titles and insists he pays no attention to any criticism his performances for Argentina receive.

    Messi has enjoyed a glittering domestic career at Camp Nou, but has failed to replicate that success with the national team.

    The prolific forward won Olympic gold in 2008, however, Argentina fell short in the final of the 2014 World Cup and were also runners-up in the 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas, the latter defeat seeing him briefly retire from international football.

    Messi has often been the subject of criticism for Argentina’s failures and the 29-year-old came in for more scrutiny after receiving a four-match ban for verbally abusing an assistant referee during a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile last month.

    However, the 29-year-old is adamant he is not affected by his critics.

    “The criticism I receive is not something I care about because I know about the things that happened,” he told Esquire.

    “I understand the people who always want us to win and demand that we deliver a trophy.

    “But those of us who play for the national team want to win a title too.

    “The Olympic gold in 2008 is the win that I value the most because it is a tournament that you may only play in once in your life and involves many athletes from different disciplines.”

    Following the criticism of Messi last week on the back of his four-game ban, he received the support of his Argentina team-mate Mariano Andujar

    “I honestly don’t think Leo should bother coming back, but he loves playing for the national team,” Andujar told Dos Contra Uno.

  • Messi suspended for four matches

    Messi suspended for four matches

     

    The FIFA Disciplinary Committee – in application of articles 77 a) and 108 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) – has reached a decision in relation to the case of Lionel Messi following an incident that occurred during the match between Argentina and Chile on 23 March 2017 as part of the qualifying competition for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™:

    Lionel Messi has been found guilty of violating art. 57 of the FDC for having directed insulting words at an assistant referee.

    As a result, Messi will be suspended for four official matches and sanctioned with a fine of CHF 10,000. The first match for which the sanction will apply is the next fixture in the preliminary competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ between Bolivia and Argentina, which will be played today, 28 March. The remainder of the sanction will be served over Argentina’s subsequent FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

    This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous rulings in similar cases.

    Both the player and the Argentinian Football Association have been informed of the decision today.

    culled from FIFA.com