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In 2013, football and Barcelona fans will not see Lionel Messi, the goal scoring machine, anymore. The 26-year-old Argentine has suffered his fourth injury in just over half a year and will only return to the field in January of next year. What happened to the previously seemingly invulnerable forward in 2013 was attacked by a series of injuries, analyzed by goal.com columnist Ben Hayward. The past year was particularly successful personally for the world's best footballer. While "Barca" only triumphed in the Spanish "La Liga" championship, the Argentine himself scored 91 goals in the calendar year and broke the world record, winning his fourth consecutive "Golden Ball" at the end of the year. However, in 2013, the Argentine was plagued by injuries - in the past eight months, L. Messi has already suffered his fourth muscle injury. Where do the reasons lie? L. Messi had his fair share of injuries at the beginning of his professional career, and at one point it seemed that talented footballer would often be stopped by injuries in the future. Due to an injury, the little wizard with the ball missed even the victorious 2006 UEFA Champions League final. However, after that, L. Messi was "fixed", a special training and recovery plan was prepared for him, so from 2008 to 2012 L. Messi was not only the best, but also the healthiest footballer in the world. Problems started in April of this year, when "Barca" faced off against the "Paris Saint Germain" team in the Champions League quarterfinals. In the first match in Paris, L. Messi strained his hamstring and not fully healed, stepped onto the field for the return match two weeks later. Although the return of the team's leader helped Barcelona move forward, it was not beneficial for the player himself. In the first leg of the semi-final against Munich's "Bayern", L. Messi was invisible and "Barca" was crushed 0:4, and in the second match, the striker had to miss it as he suffered another injury. This was followed by other health problems: in August L. Messi suffered an injury in the Spanish Super Cup final against "Atletico", followed by an injury in the match against "Almeria" in September, and finally the footballer was again hit by a hamstring injury, received a week before the match against "Real Betis". Each time L. Messi recovered, the injuries returned. "Leo needs to stop and rest as much as he needs. I had similar problems when playing for Arsenal. You want to return to the field as quickly as possible, but that just causes more trouble," said Barcelona defender Cesc Fabregas. These injuries could have been avoided by L. Messi. It is noteworthy that the Argentine was injured in the match against "Paris Saint Germain" after a long journey to South America in March. With the Argentine national team, he had to play two matches, the second of which took place in the highlands of Bolivia. After this match, all the Argentine team players were particularly exhausted, and L. Messi played the entire 90 minutes against Celta Vigo immediately after returning to Spain, and then went to Paris in the middle of the week to play against "Paris Saint Germain". Interestingly, along with L. Messi, his teammate Javier Mascherano also suffered an injury during that time, also playing in Bolivia - this is probably not just a coincidence. "Leo should rest. If he would realize and sometimes refuse his commitments, it would be better. Recently, he has been under a lot of pressure. On the other hand, Leo himself often puts too much pressure on himself. He is like Diego Maradona – the best players in the world always demand maximum from themselves," said the physical fitness coach of the Argentine national team, Fernando Signorini. The new Barcelona team coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino tried to protect his team leader, somewhat reducing his importance on the field. The coach pushed his compatriot a little deeper into the field or to the right, hoping that L. Messi would play with a slightly lower intensity. However, L. Messi is not a player who knows how to play not as well as he can - his nature does not allow it. "Tata" did not change L. Messi's training program, but the situation at the club has changed slightly. Physical fitness specialist Juanjo Brau had been with L. Messi every step of the way in recent years. Whether the forward played with the national team or with "Barca", J. Brau was always there and became not only a friend but almost a second father, regulating what L. Messi eats, when and how much he rests, and so on. However, now J. Brau and L. Messi no longer work together day in and day out, as J. Brau received higher responsibilities at Barcelona. Physical fitness specialist Elvio Paolorosso called J. Brau to join the common coaching staff of G.Martino, as the former specialist Lorenzo Buenaventura, along with Josep Guardiola, left for Bayern. "Technically, nothing has changed in L. Messi's training program, but the absence of J. Brau by his side everyday makes it somewhat difficult for the Argentine to stick to the schedule," a source in Barcelona told goal.com. The preparation for the season did not help improve L. Messi's physical condition. The Argentine visited a total of 14 different countries on four continents to play friendly matches with "Barca" and with his charity foundation. L. Messi played in Poland, Israel, Thailand, Malaysia with "Barca", and also traveled to Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, and Senegal with his charity foundation. This was certainly not a suitable preparation for a long and tiring season. There is another reason, but it is already psychological. L. Messi found it difficult to cope with the illness of his teammate Eric Abidal, and especially with the illness of former coach Tito Vilanova. The latter's problems shook all the players, and especially L. Messi, whom Tito coached since childhood. "These years are full of stress for Leo. The illnesses of Eric and Tito were difficult psychologically for all players, and L. Messi's problems with taxes also added. Psychologically, it is really hard for him, and from this, physical problems begin," said a source in the Catalan club. It should not be forgotten that L. Messi recently became a father, so the footballer's daily life has changed, the hours of rest have decreased, and there are even more worries. The player's priorities have changed, as he now wants to be not only the best player in the world, but also the best father. Due to his son Thiago, he has to sacrifice a lot. And finally, L. Messi is thinking about the World Championships in Brazil next year. The forward has already won everything possible with "Barca", so he hopes for success in the World Championships. If the striker helped Argentina win the World Cup, he would achieve what many skeptics demand of him and probably finally reach the level of players like D. Maradona or Pele. L. Messi's teammate J. Mascherano previously said that the player hopes to reach his best form next summer, not in April-May, as usual. "The World Cup is on his mind, but "Barca" also needs its leader healthy. For this reason, the club gives L. Messi much more time to recover and hopes that the player will be unstoppable again next year," a source in the Catalan club told goal.com.
