Interlude 20: What were you thinking??

For any regular followers of this blog/anyone who even knows where Argentina is on a map, you probably already know this: Regardless of which religion you belong to here, how religious you are, how much money you have or your political beliefs, Lionel Messi is the next best thing to the Big Man upstairs himself.

So answer me this. If you were (almost) undoubtedly the greatest football player the world has ever seen at the young age of only 25 (yeah, I know, right) - what would you not do? Well, i think its reasonably obvious that you should NOT do whatever Messi has gone and done:



I'm not a big fan of tatoos, but thats neither here nor there. If you were ever going to get one as a footballer, get it on your back, your chest, your arm - even your face - just don't get it on your LEG. As you can see, and as radio commentators here have been constantly worrying about since yesterday, his left leg (he's left footed) is very inflamed, probably hurts like hell, and I heard a medical professional saying it could well get infected. If it is, anything could happen. So far, I haven't seen any articles from the english press about the worry. If I were a defender, I know exactly what i'd be doing to Messi all game - a couple of taps to the calf in the first few minutes should have him wincing, especially as now everyone knows exactly where/how bad it is.

The reason he got it, apparently, is because he loves his son so much (it's a tattoo of his sons handprints) that he wants to equate him to what is, essentially, his whole life (his left leg). But i think he missed a crucial point. You are not Phillipe Senderos. You are not Huerelho Gomes. You are not even Gareth Bale (although obviously you wish you were...). You are Leo Messi.

The greatest, the most feared, the best. But also a massive, massive plonker.