The nostalgia of a former teammate of Lionel Messi for his departure

Martín Demichelis, coach of Leipzig, expressed his deep nostalgia this Monday following Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentine national team.

The nostalgia after Messi's farewell

Martín Demichelis, coach of Leipzig, said this Monday that after the retirement of Lionel Messi from the Argentine national team he was overcome by "nostalgia," and he highlighted the "legacy" the '10' leaves for the country and for the sport.

The German club's coach said so this Monday, on the eve of his press conference ahead of the Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu stadium, in a virtual round table organized by Leipzig.

A former teammate of Messi in the Albiceleste, Demichelis praised the great legacy left by the captain of the last World Cup with Argentina, to whom he thanked for the victory in the semifinal against England and whom he raised to the very top of football.

Memories of a close teammate

"At the time I was a very close teammate of his in the national team group. When Leo got married, I was one of the guests. I never liked bothering Leo through messages, because I imagine he must have millions every day. After the semifinal I wrote to him because I felt a need to congratulate him after the match against England, where once again he showed, in a very special way, how to bring out that gut feeling as a team and as captain," he said.

"That conviction of his, his gaze, his desire and above all his age... Wow! I felt the need to congratulate him, to ask him, for one last time, to enjoy it, regardless of what came afterwards," he explained.

"When he announced his retirement and the day came, like every Argentine, I felt overcome by nostalgia. Well, I started watching videos, moments that were emerging on social media... I couldn't be there because of work. In part I'm grateful for that, because it means I have a job at a great institution. But as an Argentine, as a former teammate, nostalgia overcame me," he recounted

The eternal legacy of the ’10’

"He will be missed. He left a very great legacy in the world of sport, in our football history as well. And well, I'm grateful to have been his contemporary," he concluded.

Messi officially said goodbye to the Argentine national team last October 6 with a friendly against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Considered one of the best players in history, he played 208 matches for the 'Albiceleste', in which he scored a total of 126 goals and provided 70 assists. EFE