International Football
Messi’s Wife Ex-Boyfriend Speaks Out
Lionel Messi and his just married wife, Antonella Roccuzzo – now Mrs. Messi, were often believed to be long term lovers since both met at age five while growing up in the Argentine city of Rosario.
But an online football publication, 90 min, has disprove the claims, saying that for the record, Messi and Roccuzzo only officially started dating in 2007.
Before then, Antonella is reported to have been dating another person. It reported that it’s never nice to see an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend with someone else; affairs of the heart are a sensitive subject and even though years might have passed, one will always feel a pang of regret when seeing a former partner photographed with their current one.
But that is not the case with Antonella’s former boy friend. The unnamed former boyfriend merely shrugged it off saying: ‘At Least She Left Me for Messi!’ The ex-boyfriend of the Barca star’s wife showed there are no hard feelings.
References are made to a Spanish publication which Sports Village Square later applied Google translator to get the English version
It was a friend of Antonella who revealed the past, even as it was admitted that the couple had know each other when Messi was 10 and the lady was nine.
The translated version has it that “Messi and Antonella met many years ago when they were introduced by her cousin, Luca Scaglia.
“His environment tells that the ten of the Argentine team asked: “Who is?” And Scaglia, almost without paying attention, answered: ‘Anto, my cousin.’
“Leo (Messi) was nine years old and she was eight by then and it was when she wrote him a letter in which she said: “Someday we will be engaged.” Since then they have seen many times in the fifth of the Roccuzzo and spent much time together
Then Messi reportedly travelled to Spain but still remained Antonella’s friend.
“After a while Messi went to Spain to play for FC Barcelona and remained as friends. At that moment, according to the words of her friend, Antonella started dating for years with another boy whose name is unknown but of which there are photographs.
According to Antonella’s friend who told the story, it was on July 20, 2007 that she got to know that Messi was dating Antonella.
Hear her:”La Negra”, as they called Antonella Roccuzzo in Rosario, met on July 20 with his friends to celebrate Friend’s Day in the town of Roldán and it was when they learned that he was dating Leo.
“We are there, as we always are, and she took out the Blackberry (fashionable cell phone back then) that Leo had given her. He did not say much more, but we all understood that they had started to leave, “said the young woman.
International Football
Two Moroccan football players lost at sea, says club official
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Abdellatif-Akhrif.png)
Two Moroccan players from top-flight soccer side Ittihad Tanger have been missing at sea since Saturday after strong currents drifted their small yacht, a club official said on Sunday.
They were in a group of five players from the club who went cruising off the northern city of Tangier when strong currents and heavy winds drifted their yacht away as they were swimming in deep waters, club deputy president Anass Mrabet told Reuters.
“Three players have already been rescued on Saturday, while research is still ongoing for the missing Salman Harraq and Abdellatif Akhrif,” he said.
The players did not have buoys on them when they jumped from the small yacht to swim, he said citing recounts by rescued players.
While Akhrif, 24, is already a full member of the squad, Harraq, 18, was about to move up to the senior team this year, Mrabet added.
Ittihad Tanger have been in the Moroccan top flight since 2015 and won the league title for the first and only time in their history in the 2017-18 season. However, they have struggled in the lower half of the standings in recent years.
-Reuters
International Football
FIFA launches ‘Football Manager’ World Cup with $100,000 in prize money
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/arsene-wenger.jpg)
FIFA will host its first ever FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager this year to crown the best virtual manager on the highly-popular video game, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.
FIFA is partnering with Sports Interactive, the developers of the game that has sold millions of copies and has also been used by several football clubs to scout players and opponents thanks to its extensive database.
Players will compete for $100,000 in prize money in the final event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
“This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics,” said former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is the ambassador for the esports event.
“Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”
FIFA said in the inaugural year of the event, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event.
Member associations from all six confederations are expected to be invited while players can sign up on FIFA’s website.
-Reuters
International Football
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio robbed at gunpoint
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/baggio.jpg)
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.
Burglars broke into Baggio’s house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.
“Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.
Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus (JUVE.MI), opens new tab, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals, and is widely seen as one of his country’s all-time greats.
After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the “divine ponytail”, was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.
Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.
-Reuters
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