Perhaps the country most associated with soccer - even more than neighboring Brazil: they live and breathe by it, and are ecstatic and sad with it. This is particularly evident in the city of Rosario.
In this provincial city, 300 kilometers from the capital Buenos Aires, there is an innate and deep** passion for the beautiful game of soccer.
Rosario is a medium-sized city. The Barana River winds through the city and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at her skyscraper-strewn coastline. The dense population has given her a hardworking character. Although not one of the most elegant cities, the old beauty of this industrial city is equally attractive.
The center of the city is Independence Park on Avenida Oroño. The Newell's Old Boys, one of Rosario's two major clubs, has its home stadium, the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium, in the center of the park.
The narrow streets and noisy cafes portray the distinctive character of the Rosario people. And, of course, there's that inescapable soccer instinct that runs deep in the minds of everyone in this city.
The fierce and even fiery Rosario Derby almost tore the soccer-loving people of Rosario apart. Newell's Old Boys and the other big club, Rosario Central, are known to the locals as "lepers" and "villains", respectively.
This is by no means a term of endearment originating from the fans, but has a nearly 100-year history. Back in the day, both teams were invited to play in a charity match for lepers, Newell's Old Boys accepted the invitation and Rosario Central declined, so the fans gave each other this disparaging name.
The animosity between the two teams doesn't change the village-like community atmosphere in the city, nor their pride in their soccer influence.
Soccer has been a part of Rosario's life since a long time ago, and because of this, Rosario's youth training system has always been full of talent, having produced such famous stars as Batistuta, Baldano, Kempes, Sensini, Pochettino, but also Di Maria, Maxi Rodriguez, Icardi, and, of course, Lionel Messi.
In addition to the players, two world-class coaches have come out of Rosario: Menotti and Bielsa. Both of them were full of innovation, never sticking to the old ways, and both of them rose to fame in Rosario and changed the world of soccer.
Outside of soccer, Rosario has no shortage of prominent figures, such as the revolutionary Che Guevara and the famous cartoonist Roberto Fontanarossa.
Although Rosarios are reserved by nature, they are not presumptuous when it comes to soccer. Their attitude is perfectly understandable, given that this place has witnessed the growth of countless Argentine stars.
Former Newell's Old Boys and Barcelona coach Martino talks in Guillem Balague's book Messi:
"The unique passion for soccer is what sets Rosario apart from any other city. Its surroundings are like a conveyor belt that transports young players to the 'soccer factory' to realize their soccer dreams. Here, the youngsters are surrounded by a great passion for soccer and are well 'nurtured' by a professional youth training system. This is the reason why Rosario's youth training is so important and has produced so many stars. Messi, on the other hand, is the icing on the cake of a list of stars that can't be seen at a glance."
Newell's Old Boys are associated with more great names. Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi have both worn the red and black of the Old Boys.
Then there's one of the most revered and respected coaches of all time - Bielsa, whose last name the Old Boys have now named their home stadium after.
An iconic figure in the development of Newell's Old Boys, Bielsa began his coaching career with the Old Boys in 1990.
He soon showed himself to be an original and maverick in terms of tactics. Before him, Newell's Old Boys had won a total of two league titles, and in his two-plus years in charge, the team won the title twice.
Bielsa revolutionized the Newell's Old Boys' style of play, which became known as "Bielsaism". In his final season, the Old Boys lost only one game all season.
He then resigned due to stress and anxiety as the Old Boys seemed incapable of continuing his tactical philosophy.
It's no coincidence that Bielsa, born and raised in Rosario, would become a pioneer of tactical change in soccer. His mentor, Jorge Griffa, was a key influence on Bielsa's development.
After his retirement, Griffa became the youth coach of Newell's Old Boys. He pours his heart and soul into youth talent development, tirelessly searching for the next soccer talent in all corners of Rosario.
He himself has a rare talent for unearthing talent, and Bielsa was a unique discovery when he was looking for his assistant.
Griffa and Bielsa spent a great deal of their time discovering the buried hopefuls of Rosario and the surrounding area, travelling to countless soccer stadiums in the city and visiting the many neighborhoods inhabited by the working class and the poor - where the **s played on the streets almost 24 hours a day.
In a neighborhood called Bajada, on the outskirts of Rosario, Griffa discovered a talent named Messi. By this time Bielsa was easing into the coaching role, and little Messi was wielding his never-before-seen soccer talent.
The skillful soccer skills he demonstrated often shocked his young friends and family. Later on, Messi joined the Grandoli Club, a very mediocre junior team.
There on sparsely tended turf he played until he joined Newell's Old Boys at the age of six, until Barcelona took him away.
In a way, Messi has raised Rosario's profile. Before he became the best soccer player in the world, Rosario was long in the shadow of the flashier, more recognizable Buenos Aires.
And Messi's relatively low profile since his rise to prominence basically sums up the attitude of the people of Rosario: they are proud that the best in the world is a member of the "Rosarios" (as the locals always refer to themselves, rather than saying they are from Santa Fe), but they do not let it lead to arrogance and self-aggrandizement.
Banner of Newell's Old Boys fans supporting Lionel Messi after 2015, "Messi: the difference between us and others is that we are the best."
"Messi belongs to Rosario and Rosarios love him." David Tevez, president of the Glendoli club, said in an interview with the BBC, "He and his family are like any ordinary Rosario family. They haven't forgotten Rosario, his brother still lives here, his parents come back often and Messi comes back on vacation."
This community-like atmosphere can be felt everywhere in Rosario, especially among working-class neighbors. They grew up playing together in the streets, seeing playing soccer as a necessity, even a rite of passage.
While the significance of soccer for Rosario goes far beyond the sport itself, the two big clubs here are just as subject to problems. As Argentina's largest port city, Rosario's economy is largely dependent on grain exports.
The Argentine economic crisis at the end of the 20th century had a severe impact on the operations of both clubs. Within the clubs, corruption and violence at the management level also took a toll on the teams.
In 1994, Eduardo Lopez won the election for president of the Newell's Old Boys Club, after which he promptly abolished the electoral system. Subsequently, his corruption and criminal behavior came to light, and he was accused of tax fraud and embezzlement.
During the dozen years of Lopez's reign, many of the club's iconic figures were sidelined and the team was on edge. After his departure, the team won the 2013 Fall League title, but the turmoil brought about by the management never changed.
Meanwhile, in the 2010 A-League relegation playoffs, Rosario Central lost to the All Boys and were relegated to the second division.
In 2008, their president, Horacio Usandizaga, threatened to "kill them all" if the team was relegated. Although he later explained that he didn't take the comment very seriously, it is nevertheless an indication that there is a problem with the use of violent crime at the top level of South American and especially Argentine soccer.
However, problems in the development of the country and in the management of the clubs cannot detract from the romanticism of the Rosario people. In their eyes, the game of soccer is pure and innocent and should only be cherished and appreciated, and should not be associated with corruption.
During a period when Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central were in deep trouble, Bielsa still said, "Rosario is so charismatic because of the passion people have for two great teams."
The view from the pitch of the Glendowery Club, where he got his start, is surrounded by ageing workers' apartments, and in the distance is the ancient port of Rosario, where a grain-laden cargo ship heads downriver.
The image may be at odds with Messi's radiant presence on the pitch, but it's such introverted simplicity and understated caution that has made him who he is now.
Hard-working, ancient, muted - that's Rosario. And, of course, there is their unswerving and unending love of soccer that compares favorably with any city in Argentina or even South America.
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