Messi: Mum angry at Newell’s, unpaid, reason he snubbed River | OneFootball

Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine National Team and leader of Inter Miami in the MLS, recalled the difficult treatment to address the growth hormone deficiency he faced during his adolescence and revealed that his mother, Celia Cuccittini, got upset because Newell’s didn't help them cover the costs.

Messi took his first steps at Club Abanderado Grandoli, close to his home. Later, he joined the youth divisions of Newell's and, on March 30, 1994, at seven years old, he signed his first registration form with the Rosarina Football Association. However, the relationship changed when the young boy discovered his illness.

In his recent interview with Luzu, the former Barcelona player explained: “I started the treatment when I was 11 years old and was already at Newell's. During some tests, they discovered it, and I went to the club's doctor, the same one who treated Damián Manso. It was an expensive process, my dad's company covered part of it, but it wasn't enough, and the club said they would take care of it. We lived in the southern part of the city, they made my mom go to get the money, and they didn't give it to her.”

Subsequently, the star from Santa Fe, who always acknowledges that his childhood dream was to play in the red and black jersey, clarified that his mom's anger had “nothing to do with the club” and was directed “at the person in charge at that time.”

On the other hand, Messi explained that later his family separated, and he got an evaluation at River Plate: “I did a trial. Ten days later, I returned, they told me I had to stay in the dorms and that they would take care of the treatment, although they said ‘you have to go get the transfer and come’. Obviously, when I went to ask for it, they didn't give it to me. That was the end of it, and then Barcelona came into the picture, which was not in anyone's plans.”

In that experience with the Millonario, to which a friend invited him, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner played between 15 and 20 minutes against young players from the 1985 category (two years older) and, another day, scored “three or four” goals against players his age. Therefore, the Núñez team wanted to sign him, but Newell's closed the door on him.

On September 17, 2000, Messi boarded a plane to Barcelona with his father Jorge for a trial at La Masia. Although he returned home, the Catalan club never hesitated to keep the 13-year-old. Carles Rexach, then the club's Technical Secretary, stated in the first Board of Directors meeting: “Messi traveled for a 15-day trial and had 14 days to spare.”

In 2019, in an interview with TyC Sports, the Paris Saint Germain forward recalled how he managed his treatment in Catalonia: “It wasn't easy, but I was always very responsible. It was a little box with a pen, which always had to be in the fridge. If I went to sleep over at a friend's house, I took it with me, and they already knew I had to use it and reminded me so I wouldn't forget. It ended up being something normal and didn't affect me at all.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.