Argentina captain Lionel Messi has made the very generous gesture of paying the national team security staff’s wages after they went half a year without receiving their salary from the Argentine Football Association.
The AFA is currently involved in a financial and governance crisis with the association accused of serious mismanaging their funds, irregularities worth millions of dollars found in regards to broadcast rights and former President Luis Segura brought up on fraudulent administration charges back in June.
All of this has meant FIFA have had to intervene in the AFA and there are very limited funds available, apparently meaning that the security personnel that work with the national side have not been paid.
According to journalist Juan Palo Varsky, via Sport, a couple of the security team approached Messi before Argentina’s contest with Brazil last week to ask for his assistance in getting their salary from the association.
Varsky said: “”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 then revealed that Messi made the kind decision to instead contact his father and get the money transferred to pay for their wages himself.
And the journalist says that this deed isn’t the only generous act the Barcelona star has done during his career – he just doesn’t like talking about them.
Varsky added: “Surely, when Messi finds out that someone told this he will be furious, but it doesn’t matter.
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