Corona consequences – “I couldn’t walk properly for a month and a half”
Stand: 01.06.2022
Lionel Messi tells how much the infection with the corona virus has affected him
Which: REUTERS
In January, Lionel Messi fell ill with the corona virus. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar tells of an illness that “hit him very hard”. Normal football training was out of the question for a long time.
Ssuperstar Lionel Messi had to deal with long-term effects after his corona infection. “The truth is that it hit me very hard. And it left its mark on me, there were after-effects, especially in the lungs,” said the Argentina national team captain in an interview with Argentine TV channel TyC Sports.
Messi had tested positive for the corona virus in early January. “I couldn’t train. I came back and I couldn’t even walk properly for about a month and a half because my lungs were affected,” said the midfielder for French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
He was not afraid and, out of ambition, even started earlier against the advice of the doctors. After a three-game break, he returned in the 4-0 win over Stade Reims on 23 January when he came on as a 63rd-minute substitute. But in retrospect it was too soon and had negative consequences.
problems with the lungs
“I came back before I should have. And it got worse because I was too hasty. That threw me back,” said the 34-year-old. He couldn’t bear to do anything anymore: “I wanted to run and train – I just wanted to keep going. And it ended up getting worse.”
Messi’s first season with the Parisians after moving from Barcelona was mediocre. In 34 competitive games he met only eleven times. In the end, it was probably also a consequence of his infection. But now he’s optimistic again. “This year will be different. I am already prepared for what is to come. I know the club, I know the city, I feel a little more comfortable in the dressing room with my team-mates and I know it will be different,” he said.
