Ten years ago, when he was still a 15-year-old youth at River Plate, midfielder Enzo Fernández published a letter addressed to Lionel Messi, after the star announced that he would no longer defend the Argentine national team, following criticism from fans and the press for the defeat to Chile in the Copa América final.
In the letter, Enzo criticized the pressure on the number 10 and asked him to reconsider his decision, which Messi actually ended up doing a few weeks later.
Voted the best young player of the FIFA tournament in 2022, in Qatar, in the campaign towards the third championship, and consolidated today as one of Lionel Scaloni’s trusted names in the Albiceleste midfield, the Chelsea midfielder recalled this Sunday (21) the letter written ten years ago and praised his teammate.
“I remember the letter very well; it was a difficult time for all Argentines. Today, I would write something more emotional, because I shared a lot with him. He is a great person, a great player. A book would not be enough to write everything I learned from him”, said Enzo in an interview at the AT&T Stadium, on the eve of the duel against Austria in the second round of group J.
“We expect an Austrian team that plays directly, aggressively in midfield”, said the midfielder when planning the duel against the Europeans.
At 25 years old, the player from San Martín, Buenos Aires, also reflected on his maturity since the last edition of the FIFA tournament.
“I feel a lot of differences. Four years have passed. I learned a lot at Chelsea from the coaches, and here in the national team my role has changed along with my game. Today I feel more mature in the national team. When I arrived, I was just a boy. I’ve been trying hard, adding things to my game to be more complete.”
Despite the new status with which he arrives at this year’s World Cup, Enzo said that he does not consider himself the owner of the Albiceleste midfield position.
“I don’t feel like I’m a starter. Whenever I have a chance, I try to do my best, defend my country and do everything I can to make the team win.”
He also stated that it was a “bump” to start the campaign in Qatar with a defeat to Saudi Arabia, adding that starting the journey with a victory “is favorable because it gives a lot of confidence.”
