Messi fans flock to Argentine open practice

Bronnitsy, June 12: The chance to see Lionel Messi up close unleashed a certain madness as the Argentine national football team held their first open practice session for the World Cup here. Some 500 people packed the stands on Monday at the Bronnitsy training center on the banks of a river with sandy shores and just a short distance from a traditional Russian orthodox church with gilded domes.The fans never stopped chanting the name of FC Barcelona’s star player, while waving both Argentine flags and Barca banners. “Argentina will win the World Cup. It doesn’t matter that it’s not the best team, it has Messi. With him, all is possible,” Dima, a 10-year-old boy wearing a replica Barcelona shirt with the striker’s name, told EFE. IANS