The decision of the Italian club Roma sparked a sporting controversy, after it refused to allow the Argentine national team duo, Paulo Dybala and Nauel Molina, to travel to Buenos Aires to participate in the upcoming friendly match against Benin scheduled for next October 6, which will constitute the final farewell of the star Lionel Messi in the “Tango” shirt following his international retirement announcements.
The Capital Club attributed its decision to purely sporting and logistical considerations, pointing to the fatigue resulting from the long travel journey between Italy and Argentina, in addition to the crowded match schedule and the approaching crucial matches for the team locally and continentally.
In its statement, Roma expressed its understanding of how symbolic the occasion is for its players, especially since they have a close bond with Messi and have previously won the Qatar 2022 World Cup with him, reiterating its deep appreciation for the Argentine leader’s career and wishing him an exceptional farewell party.
This position comes in light of Roma’s intense preparations for a difficult confrontation against Como in the Italian League on October 11, followed three days later by an anticipated European summit in which it will host Real Madrid of Spain at its home stadium in the Champions League competitions. These are the challenges that necessitated the management to retain the services of its players.
