Lionel Messi to the rescue of AFA security staff

11/19/2016

Lionel Messi has reportedly paid the wages of the entire security staff of the Argentina Football Association after learning that they had gone without pay for almost six months owing to the financial troubles faced by the AFA.

Journalist Juan Palo Varsky told Metro 95.1 about Messi's gesture while with the Argentina squad for the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.

Prior to Argentina's clash against Brazil in the Qualifiers, members of the security staff approached the Barcelona forward to seek his help after having gone without wages for almost half a year.

"Lionel Messi was in his room waiting for the game against Brazil in Belo Horizonte, when a knock at the door came. Two or three people appeared, all from the security team who look after the Argentine team and they said 'Leo, we have to talk with you. For five or six months they have not paid us. The situation is complicated, you are the captain of the team, you know us, we are asking for your help,'" Varsky said.

Messi's immediate reaction was to call up his father and get the money transferred to the AFA so that the issue could be quickly resolved. Varsky, however, added that if this news broke out Messi would be "furious" because he does not like people knowing about what he does outside of a football field.

"Surely, when Messi finds out that someone told this he will be furious, but it doesn't matter. There are a lot of actions he doesn't want people to know about but I thought it pertinent to tell this because there is no reason not to, save for his anger," the journalist said.

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