The romance between Lionel Messi and Barcelona has had many tense moments. In the last year the tug of war has had to do with the continuity of the star in the Blaugrana entity. But long before that episode there had already been conflicts between the player and the club. None caused as much a stir as the one sparked in 2008, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. The character of Messi, at that time a 21-year-old still budding talent, showed his first signs of dissatisfaction.
Leo wanted to dress the albiceleste in the tournament, but the Barcelona leadership refused to give it up, and it was his right: clubs are not obliged to loan their players for the Olympic competition as it is not organized by FIFA. President Joan Laporta stood firm. He had no intention of yielding to a player who was a key piece in shaping the new project. But the timely intervention of Pep Guardiola, recently arrived on the bench, he played in favor of Rosario. The coach knew he needed Messi, but he required him happily. With the tact that is proper to the visionaries, Pep gave the green light to Messi and interceded for him against Laporta.
Once the problem was solved, Messi put himself under the orders of Sergio Checho Baptist to face the championship. That team was a collection of figures rarely seen in an Olympic soccer tournament. The three reinforcements older than 23 were Juan Román Riquelme, Javier Mascherano and Nicolás Pareja. Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María, Fernando Gago and Ezequiel Lavezzi they completed a dream payroll. Argentina arrived in the Chinese capital with the obligation to endorse the championship four years earlier, when with Marcelo bielsa on the bench, the Albiceleste won the only title that was missing from their huge showcases: Olympic gold.
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Argentina was slow to carbure, as the results accompanied him. The overall performance did not match expectations, but talent poured into his work. In debut, he beat 2-1 to Ivory Coast. Then he beat 1-0 to Australia and 2-0 a Serbia to ensure the leadership of the group. Netherlands made the team suffer Checho in the quarterfinals. Di María saved the ballots in overtime to seal 2-1.
The rival in the semifinals was the classic of always: Brazil. The Canarinha was led by Ronaldinho. The smile wizard had lost a certain shine in recent seasons at Barcelona, but he was still a benchmark player against whom it was better not to trust. Messi was clear that if he wanted to hit the footballing stretch that had predicted since its genesis, he had to surpass his idol and teacher. That summer, Dinho left for Milan. Pep Guardiola did not include him in his plans because, together with Deco, I considered him a bad example for young players. Ronaldinho inherited the 10 culé to Messi and in Beijing he signed his definitive abdication.
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Argentina’s display bordered on perfection. An overwhelming 3-0 full of authority gave him the ticket to the final. Due to the amount of talent accumulated and the game he developed during the tournament, no one could deny him the role of favorite. But in front was an old-time executioner: Nigeria. The Eagles They were a powerhouse in competitions with an age limit and they already knew what it was like to beat Argentina in an Olympic final, as they did in Atlanta 96.
But in Beijing Argentina imposed its law on a sour party conditioned by the brutal heat. A play by Messi left Ángel Di María facing the frame, who subtly punched the ball over the goalkeeper. 1-0. Simplicity and match management. Argentina did not break its head. Messi climbed to the top of the podium. The unflappable smile of the 10 seemed eternal. Later it would twist many times, but at that moment nothing mattered: Olympus was his.
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