“Irreversible” tiredness could blunt Messi threat

PRETORIA, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi’s hopes of being  crowned the best player at the World Cup could be dashed by the  exhaustion of a taxing European season, according to the man  responsible for keeping the team in shape.

“He has arrived at the World Cup tired, the damage is  already done and it’s irreversible,” Argentina’s fitness coach  Fernando Signorini said in an interview by sport.es.

Signorini, Diego Maradona’s personal fitness coach for most  of his playing career in Europe, said too much was being  expected of the young forward who only turns 23 in two weeks.

“(The organisers) worry about the doping controls but not if  players play 70 matches a year,” he said this week after an  early morning visit by anti-doping testers to Argentina’s  University of Pretoria camp.

Fans and media have seen little of the little Barcelona ace  in the last four weeks although he has been involved in  Argentina’s practices during the two weeks the squad have been  in South Africa.

Having missed Argentina’s 5-0 win over Canada in their last  warm-up 17 days ago due to a minor knee injury, Messi’s last  match was in La Liga on May 16. He last played for Argentina  against Germany in Munich on March 3.

Signorini said Messi was doing no more than absolutely  necessary in terms of fitness in the build-up to Argentina’s  opening Group B match against Nigeria in Johannesburg tomorrow.

He went on to say “Messi is almost a miracle of genetics  because in a single movement he makes six or seven (movements).

“It’s his calling to be one of the best (players) in history  and surely at the next World Cup he’ll be better than in this  because to his talent he will add experience.”

Daniel Arcucci, co-writer of Maradona’s autobigraphy “Yo, el  Diego” (I, Diego), echoed this sentiment when he said: “(Messi)  has the qualities to be the best … but it could be in 2014 and  not now.

“It would be an injustice to judge him badly if he doesn’t  crown himself this year,” he told Reuters.

Messi is excited about the tournament, saying: “To win the  World Cup would not compare with anything.

“I think I’m in the best form of my career. And it’s also  the best of the squad in general.

“We felt we needed to be together and now what’s left is to  win the World Cup, which is Argentina’s obligation,” he told  reporters.

Messi asked, however, not to be singled out, saying: “No one  wins alone and I’m not going to win a World Cup alone.

“I don’t even do things alone at Barcelona. Here it’s the  same, we have to make the most of the very great players we  have.”