Messias after Atletico-Milan: “After the goal I felt like crying. My story is written by God”

The man of the match who, objectively, was difficult to expect, but which is precisely for this reason the best story to tell. Junior Messias’ most beautiful night arrives at the age of 30, almost 31 (in January). And it comes at the end of an uninterrupted gallop that began among amateurs, in Piedmont, continued until the landing in Serie A which took place only last season, in Crotone. Tonight was his first appearance in the Champions League and he gave Milan the goal that allows the Rossoneri world to still hope for the miracle of the second round. In summary: in Italy, from Brazil, at the age of twenty. In A to 29. In the Champions League to 30. An enterprise (his) in the enterprise (that of Milan.

Stops burned

—

Also because in Turin, where Junior arrives, he plays football for fun. First in the neighborhood team, then in Excellence, then in D, in C and in B, up to the top flight. A canonical process, at first glance, except that Messias in the last two years has not only forged ahead. He pulverized them. Starting from a complicated neighborhood of the Piedmontese capital, where he worked as a delivery boy to be able to support himself, with a difficult past in Brazil, where it was easier to lift your elbow with alcohol than to go straight with the ball between your feet. He risked dying, drunk at the wheel, he said himself. And then this is – also – a story of redemption, as well as a sports fairytale. In the most beautiful cup in Europe, that of the Golden Balls and the tens of millions a year bombers, there is also room for a stranger to the great audiences.

Without preparation

—

Milan took him a little by surprise in the last rounds of the summer transfer market. When everything seemed to converge on the Frenchman Faivre, here is the agreement with him. From a 23-year-old French to a 30-year-old Brazilian who clashes with Elliott’s entire philosophy. Who doesn’t really like investing in agée players. It was, let’s say, Paolo Maldini, who has had a certain passion for Junior for some time. It was tough at first. Arrived, as Pioli said, without the minimum wage of athleticism. A preparation practically to be done from scratch. Then, when he timidly started peeping, a muscle woe stopped him. One month out of the game, seven games missed. Before tonight he had put together 49 minutes of misery. And now the emotion is overwhelming: “I am very happy especially for the victory. In addition to the goal and the debut, he came in time of need. I was coming from a difficult time, I had two injuries in a row. Today it was important to win, we are still alive and we have to fight until the end ”. He says that after the goal “I felt like crying, what I experienced went through my head. Pure emotion. I thought of God, my whole history is written by him. It was the best night of my career, I hope more will come like this. Liverpool? It will be difficult, we must remain humble and play our game like today, we did very well from the first to the last minute “. Then he talks about the goal: “I put her in calm and serene. When you are calm and peaceful you can do great things. I dedicate it to my family and friends in Brazil, to those who believed in me ”. At the end of the season it will be up to Milan to decide whether to still believe in him or not: Junior arrived at Milanello from Crotone on loan with the right to redeem. The fable has other chapters to write.