Lionel Messi’s farewell with the Argentina national team was an unforgettable experience for Benin, although its coach, the German Gernot Rohr, had one specific complaint: his players were unable to take photos with the Argentine captain or exchange jerseys.
After the match at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Rohr spoke with the French media outlet RCM Sport and acknowledged the significance of having participated in a game that marked a special milestone in the Argentine star’s career.
“We’re very happy to be making history, especially for a great soccer player like Lionel Messi. Playing this match at the Monumental was an extraordinary experience for my young players,” said the coach.
However, the coach noted that there were aspects of the celebration he did not appreciate, mainly because his players were unable to take home a memento of their encounter with the world champion.
“The only downside is that the Argentines didn’t give our players anything—not even a photo of Messi,” Rohr lamented.
At the end of the match, several Benin players had their cell phones ready to take a photo with Messi. The Argentine captain gestured to them to indicate they could do so later, but their efforts did not yield the desired result. The coach also explained that his players tried to exchange jerseys with the Argentine players, though they were unable to do so either. According to his account, they even tried to enter the players’ tunnel, but security personnel prevented them from doing so.
“We wanted to exchange jerseys and didn’t get any. They didn’t even let us into their tunnel—security refused. The players came with their jerseys to exchange with others. We tried everything, but there was nothing we could do,” he said.
Rohr did manage to get a souvenir from Messi
Despite the difficulties, the German coach was able to take home a memento related to the Argentine star. Rohr, who faced Messi and Argentina during the 2018 World Cup in Russia while coaching Nigeria, managed to give Lionel Scaloni a Messi jersey from that tournament.
The coach explained that Scaloni got Messi to sign it again and then returned it to him. Although he had to wait half an hour to complete the exchange, Rohr said he didn’t mind the delay.
Setting aside that minor complaint, the coach viewed his players’ experience in Buenos Aires positively. For him, the result of the match took a back seat to the opportunity to play in an international match of such significance.
The purpose of the visit, he explained, was for Benin’s young soccer players to learn and have an experience they could hardly have imagined before participating in the farewell match for one of the greatest figures in world soccer.
