An emotional tribute to Lionel Messi took place during the rosarino clásico between Rosario Central and Newell’s, following his announcement of retirement from the Argentine national team. At 10 minutes into the game, the canalla fans united in a respectful applause, while the shouts of “Fideo, Fideo, Fideo” echoed in the stadium in reference to Ángel Di María, his teammate and captain.
The tribute began when referee Yael Falcón Pérez stopped the game. Di María, a friend and teammate of Messi for 17 years on the national team, was seen applauding during the minute dedicated to his colleague. Together, they have achieved significant titles including the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the World Cup in Qatar 2022, and the Copa América in Brazil 2021 and the United States 2024.
Additionally, the players of Newell’s wore a patch on their jerseys with the inscription “Thank you Leo” and the face of the footballer, accompanied by a special armband on the captain Luca Regiardo. The clásico, which captivates the city of Santa Fe, took place without visiting fans but maintained its vibrant atmosphere of rivalry.
In the first half, the match, although lacking emotions, ended with Rosario Central taking the lead just before halftime. In the first minute of added time, following a corner kick, Enzo Copetti assisted Gastón Ávila, who scored with a powerful left-footed shot into the top right corner of the goal defended by Josue Reinatti.
In the next matchday, Newell’s will face Vélez on Friday at 19:00, while Rosario Central will visit Tigre on Sunday at 14:45, in search of continuing to advance in their respective zones of the Torneo Clausura.
Source: www.infobae.com
