Lionel Messi’s year marred by off-field controversies

hough he may seem shy and innocent, Lionel Messi has always been aware of his worth and of being paid in accordance with his status.

Despite Barcelona's successes so far this season, injuries, off-field woes and perhaps even the arrival of a new, young star in Neymar, right, mean Lionel Messi, left, has not had much to smile about in 2013. Quique Garcia / AFP
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The tape recorder switched off and Lionel Messi had a question of his own for this writer. Why, he wondered, did Manchester City have so much money? And how much were they paying his compatriot Carlos Tevez?

The conversation, in February 2010, seemed inconsequential, if a little bizarre, yet it gives an insight into the mind of a top footballer.

Though he may seem shy and innocent, Messi has always been aware of his worth and of being paid in accordance with his status. He has always wanted to know what other footballers receive and has not been slow to get what he feels he is worth, which, as the best footballer on the planet for the past five years, is more than the rest.

He was not the best player in 2013, when three leg muscle injuries prevented him from reaching his usual stellar standards. Messi finished the year on the sidelines and recuperating in his native Argentina.

Off the pitch, 2013 was Messi’s worst yet. He appeared in court for tax evasion, saying that he concentrated only on playing football, that his financial affairs are the responsibility of others.

His name was muddied again when a July 2013 game played in Colombia between “Messi and Friends” was assumed to be for charity. It was not. Again, he can state that he was not directly responsible. He has promoters working on his behalf, but brand Messi was buffeted several times in 2013.

Cracks were also evident with his relationship with the club he has been part of since the age of 12.

Messi is privately known as "a commander in the shadows" by some at Barca. That is, he rules silently. Detractors claim that what he says goes with team selection, that his influence is significant.

The July appointment of coach Gerardo Martino from his boyhood club Newell’s was hardly met with disapproval, either; Messi’s father Jorge had mentioned Martino’s name to Barca’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta. From the perspective of Camp Messi, he is only going in pursuit of excellence. He wants Barca to be as good as they can be and wants to have the best players around him. Was he wrong in hoping for that?

In a change of tack that illustrates his growing frustrations, Messi, normally a reluctant interviewee, has gone public, stating last week that Barca’s vice-president Javier Faus “knows nothing about football”.

Messi’s contract is continually upgraded, and some at Barca are tired of the negotiation tactics. Hence interest from other clubs.

Next year is a huge one for Messi. He wants to win the World Cup, the only major trophy so far not in his collection, for Argentina in neighbouring Brazil. He wants to be at his best in June, not jaded after a heavy season as in previous years. His recuperation in Argentina’s December sun will help, but the storm clouds have some way to go before dissipating.

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