Luis de la Fuente has shared a revealing anecdote about his first encounter with one of football’s greatest figures, Lionel Messi — a story that underlines the enduring danger posed by the Argentine icon.
Speaking in the buildup to Spain’s showdown with Argentina national football team, De la Fuente reflected on his time working in youth football at Sevilla FC, when his side faced FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.
“I met Messi when I was at Sevilla youth and we played Kings Cup against Barcelona,” he recalled. “I heard about him and I said let’s man mark this boy.”
For much of the contest, the plan appeared to be working. “We were 0-0 in the 70th minute,” he said, suggesting that the young Messi had been effectively contained.
But the turning point came when circumstances forced a tactical change. “The player marking him got a yellow card, and when I took him off? Messi scored four goals.”
The story serves as both a cautionary tale and a testament to Messi’s extraordinary ability to change games in an instant. For De la Fuente, it is a reminder that even the most carefully crafted plans can unravel against a player of such unique quality.
Now, years later, he prepares to face Messi once again but this time on football’s biggest stage with far greater stakes and global attention.
