A 33-year-old man and apparent super-man of Lionel Messi, was arrested on Wednesday when he invaded the pitch at Argentina’s public training in Belo Horizonte.
The man, identified as Denis Andre Oliveira, was captured by security and arrested for trespassing.
With tears streaming down his cheeks, Oliveira told reporters that his sole motivation was to get was Lionel Messi’s autograph on his Argentina shirt.
It was an answer that, despite the ridiculousness surrounding a 33-year-old invading a pitch and risking arrest solely to get Messi’s autograph, made sense considering his past actions.
Rewind one week to June 11th and it was Oliveira, there again at an Argentina’s open training session, invading the pitch, sprinting up to the playmaker and shining his shoes before being led away by security.
The incidents not only underscore how crazed the world has gone for professional footballers and especially Messi, but that things like open training sessions will fast become a thing of the past if the public can still come within close proximity of their heroes.
Then again, perhaps it’s time to give Oliveira the autograph of Messi so things in Argentina’s camp can get back to normal.
Messi and Argentina face Iran in a Group F showdown on Saturday June 21st.
