Lionel Messi equalled Di Stefano’s all-time record for most goals scored in an El Clasico when he wrong-footed Sergio Ramos and placed a shot past Diego Lopez in goal at the Santiago Bernabeu in a league game in March 2013. More than a year later, he then scored a hat trick, including two impeccable penalties, at the Bernabeu breaking the record.
Ever since March 2014, Real and Barca have played 5 Clasico games against each other and Barca have scored 9 goals in total. Messi has not, curiously by his standards, scored any of them. Thus, a long waiting period (that will last till the 4th of December this year at least) has gone by without fans seeing him score a goal against arch rivals Real Madrid.
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Here’s a list of 5 barely believable events that have happened since 23rd March, 2014.
#5 Argentina lost 3 major international tournament finals, while Messi announced his international retirement
Messi has had 3 wonderful tournaments for Argentina, winning the Player of The Tournament trophy at both the World Cup and at the Copa America in Chile, the latter of which he outright refused to accept.
This refusal was borne out of his frustration from coming so close to a major international trophy with Argentina, yet missing out at the very last hurdle. While fate has been cruel on him in the finals, Argentina as a team, though, were not better than their opponents in any of the 3 finals. The results, more or less, were just according to the balance of play on the day.
Following another heartbreak at the Copa Centenario held in USA this year, in which he missed a penalty for Argentina in the shootout, Messi could take no more, and he announced his retirement from international football. This brings an end to a tumultuous career for Messi, which both began and ended in controversial penalty shootout exits.
#4 Radamel Falcao signed for Manchester United and Chelsea without lasting at either club
Falcao was grappling with a knee injury in March 2014. At the time, he was the best player in the world but wasn’t fit to play, and he lost the battle with his knee to make the cut for Colombia’s entertaining 2014 World Cup campaign.
After Falcao’s recovery from injurey, he was the subject of the most expensive loan deal in history, as Louis van Gaal sought to strengthen United’s frontline with him. He could not, however, perform up to expectations as he was visibly affected due to his injury troubles. With a total of 4 goals in his time at Old Trafford, Falcao did not do justice to the wages he commanded from Manchester United.
Despite his troubles, Jose Mourinho chanced a bet upon him and brought him to Chelsea on another loan deal, but he lasted all of 5 months as he could score just once in 12 appearances for the club. Today, Falcao is back to Monaco and there are almost no prospects of him returning to top European football.
#3 LVG took Netherlands to third place in the World Cup, signed for Manchester United and was sacked
At the time of Messi’s hat trick, Louis van Gaal was pondering over the squad he would pick for the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign. Following the withdrawal of Kevin Strootman due to another career-threatening injury, van Gaal was left with the unenviable task of leading a depleted Netherlands team through the World Cup, which he did so successfully. LVG joined Manchester United on a three-year deal following the sacking of David Moyes.
During his time at Manchester United, van Gaal’s sides showed promise at the start of both seasons, but his style of leadership did not go down well with the team. Although Manchester United finished 4th in his first season in charge, there were signs that he would not last long at the club due to his combative nature.
Eventually, van Gaal lost the dressing room and the support of many players at the club. United were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, and to make matters worst suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the Europa League.
An FA Cup victory at the end of the season was scant consolation as United finished 5th, out of contention for Champions League football this season. 3 days after United’s FA Cup victory, van Gaal’s sacking was made official, while Jose Mourinho was ushered in as their saviour for this season.
#2 Real Madrid have won the Champions League twice
Despite losing 4-3 to Barcelona on their home ground, Real went on to beat their arch-rivals 2-1 in the final of the Copa del Rey, which was a few weeks after the game in question. By this time, Barca had already been knocked out of the Champions League by a spirited Atletico side, who eventually lost to Real after extra time in the final.
After a treble-winning season in 2014-15 for Barca, which earned Messi a record-breaking 5th Ballon D’Or trophy, Barcelona were primed to be the first team to successfully defend the Champions League title. But they ran into Atletico in the quarterfinals once again, with Atletico beating them again on aggregate en route another final loss to Real, this time on penalties.
#1 Leicester City won promotion and the title the next season
The fairytale story that Leicester City have conjured up in the past 2 seasons has dumbfounded football fans everywhere and restored belief in fans that titles are still won by playing well on the field, and not, instead, by agents bargaining with each other in boardrooms and hotels.
On the 23rd of March 2014, Leicester City was celebrating a comparatively successful season in their history, nestled at the top of the Npower Championships table. Little did anyone at the club, even their most one-eyed maniacal fan, know about the success that the team would encounter in the next 2 seasons in the Premier League.
Today, many of the Leicester players and academy players have already had the opportunity to rub shoulders with elite European footballing talent of the likes of Barcelona, who they lost to in pre-season. If their run does continue in the Champions League this season, who knows what kind of upsets they’ll pull off in the continent too?
