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Josep Minguella, the agent who took Lionel Messi to Barcelona, has revealed that the Argentine used to look up to Juan Román Riquelme. He recalled an incident from the PSG star's teenage years when he first met the Argentina legend.
Speaking to Argentine news outlet INFOBAE, Minguella revealed that Messi sat at the bottom of a table and kept looking at Riquelme like he was God. He believes that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner looked up to the Boca Juniors legend as an idol.
Recalling the incident, he said:
"Sometimes Leo came home when we had a barbecue at my house. I remember one in particular that Riquelme and some other player came to. We did it one evening and I can still see him sitting at the bottom of a table from where he was looking at Riquelme like that, from under his hair.
"He was looking at him like he was a soccer god. Leo was 14 years old, he was number 10 in the lower ranks and Riquelme was Barcelona's number 10. Then Riquelme was a great player, but Messi was much better."
Messi has recently been linked with a return to Barcelona.
Lionel Messi did Riquelme's Topo Gigio celebration at FIFA World Cup
Lionel Messi showed his admiration for Juan Román Riquelme at the FIFA World Cup by doing the famous Topo Gigio celebration. The Argentine pulled off the celebration just once, but it was to send a message to Louis van Gaal.
The Dutchman was Barcelona's manager when Riquelme joined, and he was forced to play out of position.
Argentina fans have been angry with the manager ever since, and Messi took his chance at the World Cup to show that they have not forgiven the former Manchester United manager.
Messi also claimed that he was angry with the pre-match comments from Van Gaal and was quoted by GOAL saying:
"I was angry about the pre-match because I think that a coach like Van Gaal, with the experience he has, with the games he has played throughout his career and that he spoke in the way he did, that he disrespected. I think he should not have been like that, it did not make sense."
Messi led Argentina to their third World Cup title in Qatar last year.
