Dear Leo,
I know this is coming a little late, not quite on the heels of your announcement of retiring from international football. I just wanted to observe how things played out after your shock announcement.
It was all pretty much what one would expect. Some trolls, some abuse, some support, some suggestions, and even a statue, I hear.
So I thought I will just say my piece as well and be done with it.
I started watching football after I joined college, around the year 2009. I came across a few videos of you playing for Barcelona, a part of the Eto-Henry-Messi trident. I watched a few of them, then a few more and then a few more. I was captivated.
I started watching full matches of Barcelona and became a self-proclaimed Barca fan. Since then, I have been supporting Barcelona. Yes, some would say that I chose the best team with the best players, that I am not a 'real fan'. Maybe I am, maybe I am not. All I can say is that you left me with no choice but to bow down to your incredible talent and skill.
You were practically a hypnotist, not a footballer.
It has been seven years since then. Numerous triumphs and titles with Barca. Countless moments of explosions of joy, both for you and for me. I can still remember the way you kicked the camera in mad frenzy after scoring the second goal against Man Utd that put us into the lead in the 2011 UCL final. Many highlights packages of you include the video of you single-handedly ripping apart the Real Madrid defence, carrying the ball from the half-way line, to score the second goal in the 1st leg of the semi-final in the same 2011 UCL. But I remember the first goal as well, a fearsome volley off an equally fearsome cross from Ibrahim Afellay, that gave us the lead in a tense encounter. The delicately chipped ball to get past Almunia and volley into the empty net against Arsenal. The more recent powerhouse performance against Bayern Munich, showing Manuel Neuer 'who's boss'.
There are many more and I think we both know how long the list can get.
But none with Argentina.
I watched you cry on television last week. I felt incredibly sad. Then you announced your retirement from international football. I felt sadder, not because I would miss you seeing in the Argentina shirt (honestly, the number of fucks I give about the Argentina National Team would be close to zero if it weren't for you), but because I think I know how much you wanted to win a trophy while wearing that shirt and you essentially retired that dream as well with your decision.
I am not here to ask you to reconsider your decision or to say that you took the right decision. I know squat about football compared to you. I am sure you don't need my advice.
So, what is the point of this post, you ask? Oh, this is just me saying that you have my support, no matter what your decision is.
I realise it can seem a bit suspicious that this post doesn't have an agenda, but seriously, this is just a show of support, albeit very small, to let you know that I believe that you gave your best for Argentina, even if few ungrateful pricks say otherwise. I know how much you wanted to win something for your home country and I can only imagine how it must have felt to get so so close for three fucking times, and lose it all.
So, this is just one among the millions of shows of support that are on the internet. I just felt that this is the least I could do when you are going through a bad time, after all the good times I have experienced because of you.
In return, all I ask is one thing. Just don't beat yourself up.
Just don't cry.
I know this is coming a little late, not quite on the heels of your announcement of retiring from international football. I just wanted to observe how things played out after your shock announcement.
It was all pretty much what one would expect. Some trolls, some abuse, some support, some suggestions, and even a statue, I hear.
So I thought I will just say my piece as well and be done with it.
I started watching football after I joined college, around the year 2009. I came across a few videos of you playing for Barcelona, a part of the Eto-Henry-Messi trident. I watched a few of them, then a few more and then a few more. I was captivated.
I started watching full matches of Barcelona and became a self-proclaimed Barca fan. Since then, I have been supporting Barcelona. Yes, some would say that I chose the best team with the best players, that I am not a 'real fan'. Maybe I am, maybe I am not. All I can say is that you left me with no choice but to bow down to your incredible talent and skill.
You were practically a hypnotist, not a footballer.
It has been seven years since then. Numerous triumphs and titles with Barca. Countless moments of explosions of joy, both for you and for me. I can still remember the way you kicked the camera in mad frenzy after scoring the second goal against Man Utd that put us into the lead in the 2011 UCL final. Many highlights packages of you include the video of you single-handedly ripping apart the Real Madrid defence, carrying the ball from the half-way line, to score the second goal in the 1st leg of the semi-final in the same 2011 UCL. But I remember the first goal as well, a fearsome volley off an equally fearsome cross from Ibrahim Afellay, that gave us the lead in a tense encounter. The delicately chipped ball to get past Almunia and volley into the empty net against Arsenal. The more recent powerhouse performance against Bayern Munich, showing Manuel Neuer 'who's boss'.
There are many more and I think we both know how long the list can get.
But none with Argentina.
I watched you cry on television last week. I felt incredibly sad. Then you announced your retirement from international football. I felt sadder, not because I would miss you seeing in the Argentina shirt (honestly, the number of fucks I give about the Argentina National Team would be close to zero if it weren't for you), but because I think I know how much you wanted to win a trophy while wearing that shirt and you essentially retired that dream as well with your decision.
I am not here to ask you to reconsider your decision or to say that you took the right decision. I know squat about football compared to you. I am sure you don't need my advice.
So, what is the point of this post, you ask? Oh, this is just me saying that you have my support, no matter what your decision is.
I realise it can seem a bit suspicious that this post doesn't have an agenda, but seriously, this is just a show of support, albeit very small, to let you know that I believe that you gave your best for Argentina, even if few ungrateful pricks say otherwise. I know how much you wanted to win something for your home country and I can only imagine how it must have felt to get so so close for three fucking times, and lose it all.
So, this is just one among the millions of shows of support that are on the internet. I just felt that this is the least I could do when you are going through a bad time, after all the good times I have experienced because of you.
In return, all I ask is one thing. Just don't beat yourself up.
Just don't cry.
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