"Anto tries to get me out and make me forget" - PSG superstar Lionel Messi speaks about the role his wife Antonela Roccuzzo plays when he suffers a defeat
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi has opened up on how his wife Antonela Roccuzzo helps him get over the disappointment of a bad game or result.
Lionel Messi has established himself as one of the best footballers of all time, having won seven Ballon d'Or awards. He has also won a plethora of trophies with club and country.
However, for someone so used to winning, the odd defeat might be too hard to take. The PSG superstar has claimed his stake as the 'Greatest Of All Time', but often struggles to get over such upsets.
Messi has confessed that the disappointment of a bad game or a result can sometimes be too strong for him to handle. The Argentina captain, though, is grateful that he has his wife Antonela by his side to lift him up on those occasions. He said on DIRECTV Sports [via Infobae]:
“Sometimes the annoyance of a bad match or a result lasts and no matter how much one wants to turn the page it is very strong. But to get here and see my children and my wife who already know me is [comforting]."
"Anto tries to get me out and make me forget about the match and the result. But she also knows when the time is right."
Messi also revealed that he used to shut himself out after bad games earlier in his career before the birth of his first child. He admitted:
“Before I locked myself up and it was just football. With the arrival of my first child, I experienced everything differently. I had many defeats along the way and one assimilates it in a different way."
"I'm not locked up for three days without talking to someone. Since the arrival of the children, I have been changing things."
Lionel Messi and Roccuzzo had their first child, Thiago, in 2012. They then had two more boys, Mateo and Ciro, in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
How has Lionel Messi fared for PSG this term?
Lionel Messi would not have needed Antonela's help on several occasions this season. PSG have notably remained undefeated in each of the 14 matches that the Argentinean has played in 2022-23.
PSG have only failed to win two games in which Lionel Messi has featured in this campaign. The 35-year-old has also been in fine form for the French giants, scoring and assisting eight goals each so far.
The forward will also participate in his fifth FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar next month. He is determined to lead Argentina to glory in the tournament as he nears the end of his career.