Maximiliano ‘La Fiera’ Rodríguez, 42, lived this Saturday his farewell football match at the ‘Coloso’ Marcelo Bielsa Stadium in the city of Rosario, which had Lionel Messi as a special guest, who celebrated his 36th birthday before more of 41 thousand spectators who filled the stands for a very special day.
A match that pitted the glories of Newell’s Old Boys against their peers from the Argentine National Team and ended with a fireworks display had emotional words from the honoree through tears: “It’s an unforgettable day for me, living it with all my friends here and with all of you. It is unforgettable and thank you very much for this spectacular day at this party with my friends, my family and all the leper people”.
“Look how crazy, look how emotional, this is the famous Maxi who returned to Leprosy to be champion”, was the most sung song in a stadium that filled its stands two hours before the formal start of the party.
Star guest Lionel Messi arrived in a car just minutes after the players were introduced and when he stepped onto the pitch he received an emotional standing ovation from the club where Leo started playing as a child before his exodus to Barcelona.
In the presentations, one who received unexpected recognition and who had generated a lot of expectation in the preview was Ángel Di María, a fan and former player identified with Rosario Central, the Newell’s Old Boys classic.
‘Fideo’, who should define his future after the departure of Juventus with an almost defined destination towards Benfica on his return to Portugal, entered the grass of the ‘Coloso’ Marcelo Bielsa stadium accompanied by another world champion: Leandro Paredes, and the Argentine National Team coach: Lionel Scaloni.
Another of those identified with Rosario Central who also said present was Ezequiel Lavezzi, in a guest list that had, among others, Ariel Ortega, Gabriel Batistuta, Eduardo Berizzo, Gabriel Heinze, Ever Banega, Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Saviola, Fernando Gago , Ezequiel Lavezzi, Martin Demichelis, Mariano Andujar, Andrew D’Alessandro, Germain Lux, Mauro Rosales, Fabricio Coloccini, Leonardo Ponzio, Justo Villar, Fernando Belluschi, Pablo Perez, Ignacio Scocco and Lucas Bernardi.
In addition to Gerardo Martino, José Pekerman, Hugo Tocalli, the president of Conmebol: Alejandro Domínguez, and his partner from the Argentine Football Association (AFA): Claudio Tapia, the player of the Women’s National Team: Mariano Larroquete and the emblematic champion of the Lionesses of hockey: Luciana Aymar.
The match ended 7-5 in favor of the Argentine National Team with goals from the honored Maxi Rodríguez for both teams and two from Lionel Messi for the representative ‘Albiceleste’, as well as goals from Maxi’s two daughters: Alma and Aitana, who entered the the second time.
In this complement, the game was also interrupted so that Benjamín Agüero gave him a Newell’s shirt used by his grandfather Diego Armando Maradona in the middle of the field.
The party ended with laughter, joy, a short video with testimonials from his grandmother, his mother, his daughters and his representative that led to new tears of the honoree embracing his wife, Alma and Aitana.
The Olympic return and the greeting of each one of the guests ended a party that marked Maxi Rodríguez’s farewell to football, in a career that included his training at Newell’s Old Boys, and steps in Spain through Espanyol and Atlético de Madrid, in England for Liverpool, in Uruguay for Peñarol and ended where it all began: his home in Rosario and ‘leper’.
