08/08/26 01:31:00
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08/08 13:30 CDT Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father and longtime agent, dies at
68
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father and longtime agent, dies at 68
By RAMIRO BARREIRO and PATO SAITA
Associated Press
ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) --- Jorge Messi, the father of soccer star and
Argentina captain Lionel Messi, died Saturday at a hospital in the central
Argentina city of Rosario. He was 68.
The Rosario-based Club Atltico Newell's Old Boys announced his death in a
social media post that said he had undergone treatment in recent months for an
unspecified illness. The post described him as "the pillar and the person who,
with vision, rigor and affection, supported the career of the best player of
all time, alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini."
The South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, in a statement also
offered its condolences "with respect and affection for Lionel."
Lionel Messi led Argentina to a runner-up finish in this year's World Cup. In
the team's first match, against Algeria, he was visibly emotional after scoring
the first of his three goals. He said later that he wept for "a reason
unrelated to sports."
"I went through some difficult, complicated days," he said. "I am grateful to
the delegation, to all my teammates, because they were always by my side
wishing me strength so that I would be OK."
Media reports at the time outraged the Messi family, which days later released
a statement confirming that "Jorge is experiencing a health issue," without
specifying the nature of his condition.
"A person's health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the
subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest," according to the
statement, which also expressed "discomfort at the lack of sensitivity, respect
and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family
matter."
Jorge Messi was a chemical technician and worked as a steelworker. He played
soccer as a midfielder and reached the youth ranks of Newell's Old Boys but had
to abandon the sport to complete his mandatory military service in Argentina.
He played a fundamental role in his third son's career, serving as his agent
and managing his business affairs. He was the one who traveled with a young
Messi to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the trial that would open the doors
to La Masia, the club's youth academy. Lionel Messi made his professional debut
in 2005 and went on to win eight Ballon d'Or awards. He led Argentina to the
2022 World Cup title.
"My dad was always by my side," Lionel Messi said in a 2007 interview with
Radio del Plata. "Sometimes I would lock myself in my room to cry when we
arrived in Barcelona, or my dad would do the same without me seeing him, or
thinking I didn't see him. We pretended we were both OK, but we weren't. My dad
even asked me what I wanted to do when we were feeling down, if I wanted to
stay or go back, and I wanted to stay, and he stayed with me."
His father negotiated the contracts with Bara and later his transfers to Paris
Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while also managing the use of his famous son's
image rights and his numerous investments in real estate, hotels, and
restaurants.
In 2013, father and son were accused by a Spanish prosecutor of trying to
conceal earnings from the player's image rights. Jorge Messi paid more than
than 5 million euros ($6.6 million) on Aug. 14 to cover alleged back taxes and
interest.
In Rosario, a sign at the VIP Rosario restaurant, one of the Messi family's
gastronomic ventures, indicated that it was closed for the day.
The president of Argentina's soccer federation, Claudio Tapia, on Saturday
issued a lengthy statement in which he recognized Jorge Messi "for having
raised a person of values: humble, respectful, and deeply committed to others."
The organization ordered a moment of silence to be observed at all matches
across all categories of Argentine soccer and mandated that players, referees
and coaching staff wear black armbands.
___
Barreiro reported from Montevideo, Uruguay.
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