Buenos Aires, November 24 (NA) — Footballer Lionel Messi bid farewell with deep sorrow to Omar Souto, the historic National Teams Manager, who passed away at the age of 73 and left an indelible mark within the AFA. According to information from the Argentine News Agency, the Argentine captain published a heartfelt message through his Instagram account, in which he recalled the fundamental role that Souto played in enabling him to begin his journey with the Argentine jersey. 'You were always there and you were the one who opened the door for the AFA to take notice of me. My son wants to play for the Argentina National Team,' he recalled in an interview with TyC Sports. The AFA had confirmed his passing with a statement on social networks in which it expressed: 'With enormous pain and sadness, the Argentine Football Association mourns the death of Omar Souto. Rest in peace,' Messi wrote. Souto was a key piece within the structure of the Argentine National Team for decades and, especially, in the arrival of a then-young Messi. 'A huge human being, impossible to forget for all of us who had the privilege to go through the National Team. Your mark will remain forever. Thank you for your solidarity, your unparalleled commitment to the albiceleste, and for being a true role model within the house of football.' With his legacy intact, Souto will go down in the great history of Argentine football not only for his daily dedication but also for having been the initial bridge that connected Messi with the National Team. His work, silent and decisive, is today recognized by the maximum idol of the 'Albiceleste' and by generations of players who considered him an essential figure within the national team. On more than one occasion, Omar himself told how he took a payphone in Monte Grande, asked for a Rosario telephone directory, and began to call one by one to the Messis until he reached the family of the star. 'When I called his father he told me: "Finally they are going to call him up. We will never forget you, Omar. Simply thank you, Omar."'
