Lionel Messi has not finished settling in French territory and already has two clear goals on the horizon. Records, more exactly, of his compatriots who marked an era in Ligue 1.
Although they are difficult to reach for the whole issue, adaptation to a totally different environment from the one he was used to (league, teammates, home, stadium …), his undeniable talent and the brutal squad that accompanies him reduces any type of distance.
The first data that came to light once Messi arrived at PSG was that of Delio Onnis, a scorer not very remembered in South American territory but a total idol in Europe. This is most likely due to the fact that he was born in Italy and arrived in Argentina as a child.
He made his debut in Almagro, had a successful stint at Estudiantes de La Plata and made the leap to the Old Continent. From 1971 until the year of his retirement (1986) he played on French territory. He went through Stade de Reims, AS Monaco, Tours and Sporting Toulon.
He is the top scorer in the history of that league: 299 goals in 485 games.
The second data refers to one of the greatest idols of Boca Juniors: Carlos Bianchi. The ‘Viceroy’ not only shone as a coach, his stage as a footballer was also outrageous.
His time at Vélez Sarsfield is remembered with great nostalgia, more than 20 seasons with an unforgettable performance. He emigrated to the French first division, curiously at the hand of PSG, and did not leave a puppet with a head.
His stay in the Parisian team was short, only two years, but extremely fruitful. He scored 64 goals in 74 official matches, 71 in 80 counting friendly duels and others. An average of more than 0.8%. Likewise, in both editions he was a league scorer: 37 goals in the first, 27 in the second.
With the above on the table, Lío has two great challenges to meet. Expectations are sky high, but he’s used to it. Only time will tell if he breaks records, just as he did in Spain.
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