Last night, Lionel Messi led Argentina to the World Cup Semifinal by defeating Louis van Gaal and the Netherlands, but Juan Roman Riquelme wasn’t ignored, know the meaning of Messi’s I can’t hear you celebration
Messi Hit Riquelme’s Celebration After Scoring A Goal.
After converting a penalty in the 73rd minute to give his nation a 2-0 lead, some viewers spotted the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner unusually provoking Van Gaal. Wout Weghorst then startled Argentina with a late brace.
When it comes to sportsmanship and football skills, Messi is typically one of the most gentlemen players on the field. So why did he celebrate in front of Van Gaal after scoring from the penalty spot? Let’s look at this.
Lionel Messi Celebration vs Netherlands Meaning And Juan Roman Riquelme And Louis Van Gaal Link
Messi Celebrated In Front Of Van Gaal, But Why?
Messi hasn’t forgotten how Van Gaal treated Riquelme, one of Argentina’s greatest players when they were teammates at Barcelona since the Dutchman nearly ended Riquelme’s career there. Even though Rivaldo won the Ballon d’Or in 1999, Van Gaal and Rivaldo had a falling out. Rivaldo demanded to play in the centre of the field rather than on the left, and Van Gaal benched him before selling him to AC Milan in 2002.
Riquelme was brought in to take the place of the Brazilian, and Barcelona paid £7.1 million to sign him away from Boca Juniors in 2002. However, following Rivaldo’s contentious departure, Van Gaal appeared to take an immediate disliking of the Argentine, dubbing him a “political signing” by some at Camp Nou.
After leaving Barcelona in 2000, Van Gaal had only just begun his second managerial tenure in Catalonia in 2002. After what happened with Rivaldo, he was eager to establish his dominance over another unpredictable talent. You’re the best player when you have the ball, but when you don’t, we play with one less, the straight-talking Dutchman reportedly stated of Riquelme, criticising his work rate outside of possession, according to the International Business Times.
Riquelme suffered when Van Gaal used him on the wing, just like he did with Rivaldo, despite the fact that his previous finest performances had come in the middle of the field. In 42 appearances for Barcelona, Riquelme only managed six goals. When he left the club in 2005, many believed that Van Gaal’s inflexible management style had destroyed the career of an idol throughout Europe and South America.
Messi stood upright, facing the dugout, and adopted the iconic Boca Junior celebration in a rebellious manner, showing that he still harbours bitterness at Van Gaal for how he treated one of Argentina’s greatest footballers ever.
Messi hit Riquelme's celebration right in front of Van Gaal 💨 pic.twitter.com/91MuebVxxW
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 10, 2022
📌 Messi with the Riquelme celebration… in response to Van Gaal's dealings with Riquelme when he trained him previously 😬 pic.twitter.com/ipn53w6hDV
— Barça Capricorn ♑ (@capricorn_barca) December 9, 2022
This slow-mo cut of Messi confronting
Dutch manager Louis van Gaal is 🔥.There’s bad blood between the two teams and LVG with Messi, Di Maria & old school Riquelme.
Also I’ve watched Messi for 20 years & he’s in rare form. There’s fire in his eyes 🔥pic.twitter.com/CzZ8Se7lZd
— Arjun Sethi (@arjunsethi81) December 10, 2022
Netherlands vs. Argentina saw a fiery side to Messi.
As stated, the 35-year-activities old’s are highly out of the ordinary and indicate that he has a burning desire to bring the World Cup back to Argentina for the first time since 1986.
The World Cup is the only major title that eludes the PSG No.30, and he is obviously motivated to get that. He has already won the Copa America for Argentina and pretty much everything there is to win at the club level. Messi, 35, is undoubtedly playing in his last World Cup, and he is determined to leave on a high note.