Dani Osvaldo has opened up on his retirement from football and says he wouldn’t want to have a life like Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi.
The former Boca Juniors, Juventus and Roma forward decided to retire in 2016 and pursue a career in rock music, claiming that ‘the world of football was no longer for him.’
And after explaining his choice to retire at such a young age, Osvaldo has now claimed that he would not like to have the same life as Lionel Messi.
Would I like to be like Messi? No. I’d like to play like him, but he has no life. It’s as if he lives in a golden prison,” he told Marca.
“He couldn’t go somewhere and quietly drink something. Maybe he doesn’t care about it, but I do.
“I imagine him buying the biggest TV in the world, but then he’s never in his living room to use it.
“Failing that, he probably drives a Ferrari, knowing he lives 15 minutes away from the Barcelona’s training ground…”
A lot of Osvaldo’s football career will be remembered for a number of controversial incidents with fellow teammates and coaches.
During his time with Southampton in 2014, the striker faced a three-match ban and a hefty fine after a touchline bust up during a match against Newcastle. Weeks later he was given a two-week suspension after headbutting Jose Fonte at the club’s training ground.
Following his retirement, the Buenos-Aires born man formed a band called Barrio Viejo in Barcelona, along with some musicians he met during his time playing for Espanyol.
Osvaldo, 32, won the Serie A title with Juventus in 2014 whilst on loan from Southampton.
Leo Messi’s footballing career started in 1995 at Newell’s Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s. Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks to Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.
In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Do Dragao stadium.
The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona’s derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1). With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads.
On May 1, 2005, Messi became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona – against Albacete when he was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan Krkic.
At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.
His breakthrough came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona’s unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season, but Messi still played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey, and scored eight goals.
