From father to son. From son to grandson. From Paris with love.Life sometimes has a funny way of making circles, and the case of Lionel Messi and his out-of-this-world departure from his second home (Barcelona) is just a showcase of it.##NAJAVA_MECA_6486##He arrives at Paris Saint-Germain, a hotbed of football artists ever since the early ’80s and Safet Pape Susic. He was succeeded by a Brazilian Rai and George Weah in the ’90s, but the crucial name for this story is another famous star with jaw-dropping skills. Of course, Jay-Jay Okocha.8th August 1998 : Jay Jay OKOCHA’s first game with PSG and have a look on his first ball. It’s awesome !! pic.twitter.com/FGODtM0YWh— Old School Panini (@OldSchoolPanini) August 11, 2021 Flare Nigerian playmaker came to Parc des Princes in 1998, starting a four-year-long tenure with the Saints. In his last season, 2001/2002, he teamed up with a then-unknown, young Brazilian of the similar ilk. Of course, Ronaldinho Gaucho.That one season they both spent in the same locker room and on the pitch made a massive impact on Ronaldinho’s development and influenced his formative years in Europe. Crazy dribbles, incredible passing, beautiful ideas in the presence of ruthless defenders eager to put an end to that ball-oriented dancing on the turf…Ronaldinho playing for PSG in 2003 (©Charles Platiau-Reuters)It was a school for Ronaldinho, a foundation for his later football achievements and stardom he’ll eventually reach at Camp Nou. During his five-year stint with the Blaugrana, Ronaldinho paired up with the Argentine offspring Lionel Messi, the boy who’ll score a wonder goal on his debut in October 2004 thanks to a magnificent Ronaldinho’s assist. It was an encounter of two geniuses, just like with the Brazilian and Jay-Jay Okocha earlier in Paris.Okocha at Parc des Princes in 1998 (©Reuters)Some of that Okocha’s cutting edge talent was transposed to Messi via Ronaldinho. The torch lightened up in Paris continued its long journey, flourishing under a guy from Argentina who accepted some of Ronaldinho’s and Okocha’s style and took it to a whole another level with the Catalan giants.Ronaldinho and Messi in Barcelona (©Denis Doyle/Getty Images)And today, almost 17 years after that inaugural game with Barcelona, Messi closes the circle started back in 1998. Symbolically, he brings back the torch to the place where it all once started. The magic is back in the city of lights.Thu 03.30: (2.00) River Plate (3.40) Atletico Mineiro (3.90)All those billions and heartless capitalism aside – that essentially brought Messi to PSG – it’s nice to see how life provides us with some invisible bonds. Who knows, maybe there’s a guy in the PSG locker room desperately waiting to ”steal” some tricks from Messi and open another circle for decades to come.Then and now… Laporta with Ronaldinho and Messi (©Gallo images)P. S. The first signing for Barcelona in Joan Laporta’s maiden presidency at Camp Nou was – Ronaldinho from PSG. The first transfer move in his second mandate is – Messi to PSG. Some circle that was.By: BOJAN BABIC
