– What do you remember about the first time you played football, when you were eight or nine years old?

– Much longer than that, when I was four or five years old. I even dribbled the ball when I started walking. I remember the first matches playing for Grandoli Club, I remember the feeling of standing on the field. I often played football with my brothers and cousins ​​before that. I don’t remember the first time I played football, I just know I was very young. At the age of four, I started playing for that club, and also played on the streets whenever possible.

– There is a famous anecdote about grandmother Celia, who argued with the coach so that you could play on the field when you were just four years old, right?

– That’s right, my whole family told me that story (laughs). At that time, one of my brothers was playing for that club, and my nieces and nephews always came to the stadium to watch. The match was for players born in 1986, with a difference in body shape and age from me. I remember that day they were missing a player, so my grandmother told the coach of that team, whom she had known for a long time. “Put it on ice,” she said of me. He replied: “No, I can’t do that. Look, it’s so small. You’re crazy. It’ll get hurt.” But she still insisted: “Let it in, let it in.” Finally, I got on the field, and did a few things, and from then on… My grandmother came and said to the coach: “Buy him some soccer shoes. I’ll take him to practice next week.” after”. That’s how football started for me. Everything went very smoothly because my family always went there on the weekends. And the whole family spent the whole weekend at the club. My childhood was so beautiful.

– Do you remember the first table, or the table you remember the most when you were a child?

– I just remembered when watching the video about the tournament in the region. Then, when I played for Newell’s, I remember a few important tournaments that I played in. But, if I see the video, I can remember. Otherwise, I can’t remember because I was very young then.

– What do you remember about playing street football in Rosario?

– I remember playing soccer with my friends a lot, every day. And sometimes when I met older brothers, I wasn’t allowed to play because I was too young.

– What will those people think now?

– No, because they care about me and are afraid that I will get hurt, they don’t let me play with them. I have a lot of memories.

– I saw a photo of you in Barcelona, ​​you wore a mask when competing, is it because you broke your nose?

– That’s right, I broke my cheekbone.

– Cheeks? Why is that?

– At that time I played for the Barca children’s team, about 14 or 15 years old. During a weekend match against Espanyol, the opponent elbowed me in the face and broke my cheekbone. A week later, we played the final of the Catalonia Cup – a tournament that now I don’t know if it still exists. At my age at that time, the prize was very important. A similar thing happened to Puyol, when he played football wearing a mask for an unknown amount of time. The team also gave me a mask and let me play with it.

I tried wearing it to practice a few times, and after only five minutes in a match I couldn’t stand it. It’s too big and messes up my face. I decided to throw it away and keep kicking. I think I scored a double, and Barca won 3-0. After 30 minutes, I was replaced. My dad yelled at the coach not to let me play without a mask, so the coach replaced me. At the time, I didn’t realize how dangerous that was. But, I want to compete at all costs. When I lowered my head I couldn’t see the ball because it was in the way, so I let it go and continued playing.

– Do you do crazy things for football?

– I don’t remember a special story, but I did everything to compete. I want to play football anytime, anywhere, at the club, around my neighbors. Everywhere there is a football match, I want to participate. As for crazy, I don’t know.

– When he was the age his oldest son is now, he had growth hormone injections. Have you told your children about that?

– I do it for many reasons, not just because of football. It’s a method that helps me in my daily life, not just as a player. In this matter, I am very responsible. When I have to do something, and want to do something, I will try my best to achieve the goal. My son Thiago knows that I received this treatment. But I never thought that my children would have to do the same.

• Did you ever think you would have to undergo such treatment when you were Thiago’s age?
• 

– Have. I already thought so. As a father, I would probably find it very difficult if Thiago had to undergo such treatment. But, I used to do that, and didn’t feel any problem. I have to take care of myself and take responsibility for what I do.

– Speaking of crazy things, when you first arrived in Barcelona, ​​there was a recently widely shared photo of you sitting in a hotel room right after arriving at Barca and the Camp Nou in the background. Have you seen that photo?

– Already. Already.

– What memories does that photo bring to you?

– The truth is that making the decision to go to Barca at that time was difficult. But everything happened very quickly, and I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t have to think. At that time, I did not understand how difficult it was to leave the country, away from relatives, away from friends and build a life elsewhere. At first there were many problems because when I first arrived, I didn’t have a license to compete. Just as I was able to compete, I got injured again.

I spent almost a year not playing football, and just practicing, which was a lot different. After that I was lucky because everything happened very quickly. I advanced very quickly and got to play with the older guys. Whenever I see an opportunity approaching, I feel like staying here longer and continuing to fight. I’m very lucky because at first everything was very difficult, but then it went very smoothly.

– I came here in 2001, and in 2003 I trained with the first team. Your career is really booming, isn’t it?

– That helped a lot in my decision to stay and overcome previous difficulties. But the decision at that time was not easy, because at that time I had to be far from home, very far. Today I am still far from home, but actually closer than before because communication is much easier now.

– How were the trips from Rosario back to Barcelona for you then?

– I cry every time. I both don’t want to stay and I don’t want to go. I want to return to Barcelona to continue what was left unfinished. But it’s hard to say goodbye to what’s in Rosario. I know that after only six months, I will be able to return to Rosario to share my experiences. I lost many friends because it was difficult to contact everyone. Today, a 13 or 14 year old child can walk around with a smartphone in his hand. But in my time there was no such thing. Leaving Argentina was very difficult. Back then I could only contact people via e-mail or phone. But those things gradually disappear. It’s very difficult to keep in touch with people. And I had to stop talking to many people because of distance and communication difficulties.

– So do you still keep in touch with any of your childhood friends?

– I still have friends in the neighborhood, with whom we can still contact each other. We can still talk regularly. And my friends in football, I’ve known them since I was very young. With others, I began to rebuild relationships after many years. It’s fun to contact old friends after many years apart.

– Your face is much brighter when talking about this, isn’t it? Your expression is completely different

– Right. My childhood in Argentina was wonderful. At that time we also lived together in a different way. Boys in Argentina then lived much differently than they do now. Honestly, I really liked my old life.

– How important is Lautaro Formica to his presence in the Argentine youth team?

– I know Laucha from Newell’s. He belongs to the batch of 1986 and we always see each other. And there is always competition between the 86th and 87th batches, to see which batch is better. Laucha’s litter is very strong. I also know Laucha’s younger brother, Gato. They know my whole family, and me too. Laucha has always been called up to Argentina’s youth ranks, from the U15 group. He went through all the youth levels. When I played for the Argentina U20 team, they asked him about me. Oh no, no, at that time he played for the Argentina U17 team.

– At the U17 World Cup in 2003 in Finland, right?

– Right. Because at that time they had just met Spain, and Cesc Fabregas was playing for Spain.

– At that time, the Spanish coach asked Argentina coach Hugo Tocalli why he was not called up, right? Tocalli seemed to be awakened and began to find out who Lionel Messi was.

– Right. Because Cesc was called up to Spain’s U17 team, he and I played together in the Barca youth team. That’s why they started asking why I wasn’t called. It all started from there. I know Laucha, and he helped me integrate quickly when I joined the Argentina U20 team. Because Argentina’s U20 team at that time had been playing together for a long time and I was like a rookie. Laucha’s support was then important.

– Are you still in contact with Lautaro?

– Have. Have. Argentina’s U20 team at that time was great, both at the South American tournament in Colombia and the world tournament in the Netherlands.

– What is most important to you about family?

– Everything. Everything. I am very lucky because I can spend a lot of time with my family. Because there are families where parents have to work all day, and don’t get home until late at night. My parents used to work so hard, and coming home at 9pm was very tiring. I don’t play with my parents much. So I am lucky to spend time with my children almost all day, being able to take them to school, play soccer or other activities. I enjoy spending time with my wife, children and brothers.

– What do you like to do most with your family?

– I like waking up with the kids then having breakfast with them. Although there are times when I’m angry to death with them (laughs). But I like waking up with and taking the kids to school, then putting them to sleep. I love doing it every day.

– What about your wife? Do you and your husband go to the movies together?

– The truth is we rarely go out.

– Going out is very difficult, isn’t it? Because everyone knows who you are?

– Are not. Are not. Not necessarily because of who I am but because of the children’s schedules. We have three kids and have had to learn to adapt to their schedules. After school, they will participate in activities, and my husband and I will have to watch. Sometimes the whole family has dinner at 8:30 or 9 p.m., then goes to bed. After dinner, they immediately fell asleep, and so did my husband and I. The two of us were tired to death (laughs).

– It’s easy to understand, because outside you are Lionel Messi, a soccer superstar, a famous person. But when he comes home, he is the father of Mateo, Ciro and Thiago.

– That’s why I told you there were three of them. My schedule depends on them. I love playing with my children, and watching them participate in activities in the afternoon. Then the whole family ate early and slept early. I like it that way, and that’s all my family usually does. The truth is we rarely go out.

– Is this a problem?

– Correct. Right.

– Have you ever complained?

– Yes, sometimes.

– We all complain sometimes, right?

– Yes, but it’s understandable. Having three kids is sometimes very complicated.

– Do your children understand how famous their father is?

– Thiago and Mateo both understand. But they receive it in different ways. Thiago, for example, doesn’t like being in the spotlight. Its personality is very shy and cannot stand attention. As for Mateo, on the contrary, he doesn’t care if people recognize him. Whatever others say about it, it doesn’t care. Thiago is more shy so he will be more uncomfortable. But they all understood the problem.

– What is the relationship between you and your children’s parents?

– We are lucky because we are in a group with great parents. Starting with Thiago, he goes to school first and makes friends with the other kids who are very nice, and their parents are also very nice. Every time our parents meet, we communicate normally. Now I have another child going to school.

– Being so famous, do you feel uncomfortable?

– Have. I know people are always looking at me. Many times I encountered crazy problems. This is also the problem we just talked about, about rarely going out. Sometimes I don’t want to be in the spotlight, I just want to go around and do normal things like everyone else. For example, my whole family wants to go shopping at the mall, without being discovered and without being forced to take pictures with us. There are times when I don’t want that. My family is under pressure when everyone is looking. There are bad days when I go crazy and don’t want to meet anyone outside. Most people wanted to ask for autographs or photos, but I wasn’t in the mood to do so. That happened many times to me. Sometimes I react in a bad way. Well, it’s not necessarily bad. But then people expected me to smile more, and told me to smile more. But, there are times when I don’t want to do that. But I have to accept that inconvenience without complaining at all.

– Do you also like receiving love from fans?

– Correct. Of course. Sometimes I want to go unnoticed, but when people see me and say nice words, I’m also very happy. I’m lucky because wherever I go, people recognize me, pay attention to me and say nice things to me. It’s also great for them to take pictures together.

Back to the issue of parents’ groups, I just joined another group. I really like talking to people who don’t care about football, and we just talk about other things.

– What do you often talk about with your friends?

– We talked about everything, just like normal. We talk about football, life and pandemic issues as it affects every aspect of life, and every part of the world.

– How do you feel when your “normal” friends have problems with Covid-19 in Spain or Argentina?

– Of course I feel sad, even more so when friends or relatives fall into that situation. I don’t like the current situation, not only with my friends, but with the whole world. Poverty is still rampant around the world, especially for those suffering from epidemics. I saw those difficulties firsthand. I understand their suffering, because before I was not as good as I am now. But giving an opinion on this aspect is not simple, because people will say: “You say that but you don’t understand us.” It’s not easy. But I understand the situation happening in Argentina and Spain – where I live and see it with my own eyes. I am also affected by the epidemic, like everyone. But I have to talk from a different perspective, it is difficult to express my point of view.

– When you were young, your family was not poor, but belonged to the lower middle class, so you understood such difficulties?

– I don’t lack anything, because my father has to work all day. My father is rarely home, to make sure nothing is missing. Dad has to work extra hours, and extra work. But there are friends of mine who have to live in poverty, with nothing to eat, no electricity, and no water. I could see that situation from a young age.

– Why do you still maintain your strong Argentinian personality despite being away from this country since you were young?

– I don’t know, maybe because of the reason I just said earlier. I left when I was young, but a part of me never left. Everything that happened to me was related to Argentina. My family, relatives and friends are all still there.

– But what motivates you to often return to Argentina?

– I don’t know how to explain. I love returning to Rosario and seeing my relatives. I want to go there, have a barbecue party and eat with my family and friends. Maybe it’s because I left when I was too young and didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy all the interesting things from my country, family and friends. That inspired me to come back. Partly because my trips to Argentina were all very short.

– Does your home in Arroyo Seco inspire you to return two or three times a year?

– My family and friends are all there. There were also times when my extended family traveled together throughout Argentina. My wife’s family also lives throughout Argentina. I have so many memories with Rosario and Arroyo Seco. Just returning there brings back memories.

– When you were a student, how were your achievements?

– The truth is that I don’t like studying, and have problems with studying, but I always behave politely.

– You finished seventh grade in Rosario, right?

– Right

– And in high school, you studied in Spain?

– I graduated from high school in Spain. Studying was difficult, and I had no interest. But I still got through it.

– We talked about the barbecue party, so are you good at cooking?

– Actually, not very good. I can help in the kitchen, but I’m not really a barbecue chef. I prefer support work.

– Do people call you Leo or Lio?

– It was supposed to be Lio, but later people called it Leo. My mother would kill me, but now everyone calls me Leo.

– How do you grow a beard like that?

– At that time I had a contract with Gillette, and they wanted me to shave as much as possible. So I shaved a lot, but when my contract ended, I stopped shaving. Then I grew my beard like that. And I think at Copa America 2016 in the US, a lot of my player friends had beards like that. So I kept it the same. Maybe at some point I’ll get tired and shave it off again. Like my hair, I used to have it long. But when it bothers me, I cut it.

– How do you choose clothes?

– My clothes are chosen by my wife Antonela. I don’t pay much attention to clothes, I don’t have any special hobbies. I don’t really care, just be normal.

– Why does everyone say they like the steak your mother makes the most?

– I don’t know, maybe because my mother poured sauce on it. I have eaten many excellent steaks, but the best are still the first meals I had at home. Maybe because I always say my mother’s steak is the best, so everyone who eats it thinks so. Maybe that’s the reason. Because I eat the most steaks made by my mother, and the sauces at other places are not like that.

– Who is the main chef for your family’s barbecue party?

– Usually my father. When the whole family gathers together, my father will be responsible for this dish. And I just flirt.

– Do you use your cell phone a lot? And are you familiar with technology?

– Like everyone, I use my phone a lot, all the time. Sometimes I use too much, and take up time for other things. Sometimes I find myself spending too much time scrolling through my phone that doesn’t actually mean anything. Then I was late for other things. But this all happens to us today.

– Do you watch football a lot?

– I watch a lot, and watch other tournaments too. I want to know the latest results of the teams.

– Do you learn about tactics?

– I watch football as a spectator rather than learning tactics.

– Even with the Champions League?

– Yes. Before each match, I will learn about my opponent’s playing style. But when watching football, I don’t analyze tactics, I just enjoy it.

– Are you obsessed with tactics?

– I like to study my opponents, learn how to pressure them and take advantage of their weaknesses. Even though we have clubs and experts, I still want to observe and contemplate for myself.

– Are you excited to compete in the Copa America?

– Yes. Our whole team is looking forward to participating in this tournament. The last time the tournament did not take place because of Covid-19, so we were even more excited. This Copa America is very special because there will be no spectators. But, I still want to participate in the tournament again.

– The 2021 King’s Cup is your 35th title with Barca, why do you still desire the title so much?

– Every time I compete, I aim for victory and try to win every possible title. The recent King’s Cup was special because Barca went nearly two years without any title. The dressing room also has many young players and this King’s Cup is like a turning point for them, very important. Above all, I also want to win and win titles, as many as possible.

– At the King’s Cup celebration, how did you feel when your teammates took turns asking to take pictures with you?

– That experience was very beautiful. Many players who came up from zero will feel the same way. I understand that because I also had nothing. At that time, I also wanted to take pictures with the older guys on the team, because we had won another title. That memory is very beautiful.

– Do you have any passions you haven’t revealed yet?

– No, no, nothing special. I like to play paddle tennis.

– What is your playing style?

– Just passing the ball. I mainly play with Pepe Costa (Messi’s mentor). He played very well. I ran a lot and he finished. We don’t play much, about three days per game.

– Do you like playing football with dogs?

– I like dogs and raise one named Hulk. My father and I often let him play with the ball. Ciro likes Hulk very much. The first thing the child does when he wakes up, or before going to sleep, is greet Hulk and play with him. Antonela and Ciro are the most crazy about dogs, but I like dogs too.

– Do you raise dogs in Rosario?

– Wherever I go, I raise dogs. My husband and I both agree on that, because we both raised them ourselves. No problem.

– My house has a room full of shirts of famous players that I used to exchange shirts with. Whose shirt do you regret not having?

– I only started exchanging shirts with my opponents when I got a little older, but before that I didn’t pay attention to this. My brother Matias in Argentina used to collect things when I started competing. I regret not asking to exchange shirts with the players I played against when I was young, at the beginning of my career. Such as Brazil’s Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, players I’ve played against but don’t have their shirts yet. Now I really want their shirt. Maybe I missed someone else, but anyway I have the shirts of most of the famous players.

– And it must be very awkward for you to have to refuse a player who asks for your shirt, because you have already promised to give it to another player?

– That happens a lot. I always exchange shirts with my opponent, unless I get too angry and leave the field immediately. But I often change shirts.

– Are you proud when your opponent asks you to change your shirt?

– Yes, of course. This is also a way to talk to each other more easily. That action is very good.

– How do you feel when people mention Argentina, they immediately think of you?

– That’s crazy, but it also makes me very touched because wherever I go, everyone knows me and treats me well, like I said. I feel happy when people know me through football matches or through television.

– What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done to you?

– You know, my memory isn’t very good. If you remind me of some memories, I will remember them.

– There was a girl who once jumped from the stands onto the field, do you remember?

– Oh yes, 2007.

– There was a time when you went to Saudi Arabia, and someone almost pointed a gun at you at the airport, do you remember?

– That guy is really crazy, I’m so scared. But that guy didn’t mean it and didn’t realize what he was doing.

– Finally, do you want to give any message to the Argentine people?

– I always want to say this to everyone, that I am very grateful for the way people treat me. I know Argentines love me very much, even though we are going through difficult years, as well as the epidemic problem. That also has a big impact on the world, and on us too. Hopefully we can move forward, and together build the country, as well as bring success to the Argentine team.

– We want to give you this leather ball to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ole newspaper. The ball is yours, and your children’s too.

– The kids make me crazy because they just like to play indoors all day. They have their own soccer field but only like to play indoors. After family, of course football is my biggest passion.