Hallelujah! Magician Messi is back

Malayali football fans, especially Lionel Messi loyalists, woke up on Saturday morning to the overwhelming news of their favourite Argentine player coming back from retirement.
In a statement reported by Argentine media, the striker said that he overturned his decision for the “love of the country”.
The footballer’s U-turn comes a day after the newly-appointed Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza met with him and listed his name in the probables for the country’s world cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela next month.
Messi had announced his decision to quit from international football on June 27 after his team lost to Chile in the Copa America final. “A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting, but my love for my country and this shirt is too great,” the five-time winner of world’s best player award was reported saying. “We need to fix many things in Argentinian football, but I prefer to do this from inside and not criticise from outside.”
Kerala’s football fans and sportspersons welcomed the news with arms wide open. Kochi Times listens in as they sing praises of the footballer’s latest act and what it means to the Argentina football team:
Rajeev Pillai, actor
The sudden retirement felt like like a knee-jerk reaction to a temporary failure. Didn’t I say right at the announcement of his retirement that Messi will be returning? (laughs) I’m not surprised at the decision of his return. Argentina has to go through the qualifying matches to play in any major game and it was obvious that they won’t be able to qualify against such tough Latin American competition without Messi. His return was just a natural progression. It was just a question of when he will return.
Ebin Rose, coach
This decision was expected. He is a very talented player, who has a long way to go. He will definitely be playing one more World Cup and another Copa America. The comeback will boost the morale of Argentina team as well. The presence of the young hero in their midst will spur them on and make for some good game moments. I think we will see a new and focused version of Messi this time. My students who are Messi fans are equally delighted about his comeback. Their excitement shows me how much he inspires young players.
Sushant Mathew, defender
A big fan of team Argentina, I was lucky to meet Messi when he was in Kolkata, and could also get his autograph and a selfie. It was a sad moment when he retired, but it feels great that we will get to see him play again. Now on, I feel he might not continue as captain unless he is forced to. Argentine players Javier Mascherano and Sergio Aguero, who had also called it quits with him, should be back and if they can all team up for World Cup, there’s nothing like it!
Surjit V V, Right Winger
I had expected and long awaited this comeback! He retired as he was weighed down by expectations and criticism, and even the legend Maradona’s words about him lacking leadership skills, might have been quite hard to take. I guess it was the warmth of people’s love for him which made him think of returning. This time, however, I don’t think he might want to be the country’s captain, but would play easy and enjoy the game better.
C K Vineeth, striker
It was never time for him to retire. Losing a few games will put any player under pressure and it must have been tough for him as a captain. Though Argentina is a team that holds high profile players, the team heavily depends on Messi’s performance. He’s among the few gifted players in the world who could win a game on his own. Also, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two giants of the game and one bowing out so soon left both camps disappointed as we look forward to their games.
Mohammed Rafi, striker
I have always been a hardcore Messi fan, so I am cloud nine after hearing the news. Consecutive losses in the finals must have been the only reason why he took that rash decision to quit. But the leader is now back! As a footballer I have always admired his tactics on the field. I have tried to adopt a few and executed some in my games. He is a fun, fast player who has a natural flow. His positive vibe and confidence will definitely be a plus for the Argentina team.