Lionel Messi is grieving the loss of his father and longtime agent Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 after an illness in the Argentine city of Rosario.
Jorge died on Friday at a clinic in his hometown, where he had been getting treatment for several months. He was with his wife, Celia Cuccittini and their children, Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol during his days. The family has not revealed the illness.
Jorge was very important in Lionel Messi’s football career helping his son from the beginning in Argentina and later working as his agent. Newell’s Old Boys, the club where Messi started called Jorge a person who supported his son’s career with “vision, rigour and affection.”
The Argentine Football Association also sent its condolences to the Messi family offering its support during what it called a hard time.
Lionel stayed close to his father during his illness. His emotional moments during Argentina’s World Cup campaign made people wonder about Jorge’s health. Messi later said that his tears after scoring against Algeria were because of matters not related to football.
Jorge’s impact on his son went beyond managing football. Messi has talked about asking his father for advice after matches and valuing his guidance throughout his career.
As messages of respect come in from the football world Jorge Messi is being remembered not as the father of one of the best players, in football history but as a main person who helped Lionel go from Rosario to become a global star.
