Junior Messias: The Unlikely Scudetto
The delivery boy wins Italy’s highest honour
When it counted most, Junior Messias lobbed a brilliant ball over the top of the Atalanta defence for Rafael Leão that led to the goal that broke the deadlock on the penultimate day of the Serie A season.
Desperate for impact off the bench, Stefano Pioli brought on the diminutive Brazilian and immediately reaped the reward. It took just 60 seconds for Messias to pick the lock of that Nerazzurri door and allow Leão to steam through it.
The delivery boy, once again, lived up to his name. This time the recipients are Milan fans.
Yes, this is indeed a heavenly ascent
The 2021/22 Serie A title belongs to Milan and Junior Messias. While there were more important pieces on the Pioli chessboard, the contribution of the former Casale winger can not be understated.
Aside from a wonderful goal in his Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid, Messias delivered five Serie A goals, taking his career tally to 14 in the top flight.
At 31 years of age, Messias has now completed just his second season of Serie A.
That’s not because of a big-money transfer from Bayern Munich or Arsenal. It’s because he is one of a handful of lower-league players in the history of professional football that capitalised on every single opportunity that was presented.
In his first season — with Crotone in 2020/21 — he was relegated with his then partner in crime, Simy. Astonishingly, Pioli chose Messias to fill the void left by the acrimonious departure of Hakan Calhanoğlu to rival Inter Milan.
Incredulous by his own admission, Messias arrived in Milan with a Poundland price tag last summer. “I never thought of reaching this high, dreams come true, you just have to believe in them”.
Simy then signed for Salernitana and was subsequently sent to Parma in Serie B during the January window. Recently, Crotone was relegated for a second consecutive season and will contest the 2022/23 campaign in Serie C.
It’s true when they say “the cream rises to the top”.
Milan has won its first title in eleven years and Ibrahimovic, Giroud, Theo Hernandez and Franck Kessie are all names that will be sung by Rossoneri fans for decades to come.
Now think of the Peruvian community of Torino. That’s where it all began for Junior Messias, who was spotted playing in friendly matches by former-Torino coach Ezio Rossi.
The road to the Scudetto for Messias began there, detours through Casale and Gozzano, and then deviates through Calabria.
The haters will screech that Messias didn’t really do that much while Rafael Leão (11 goals) and Oliver Giroud (9 goals) dragged Milan to their 19th title. Well, allow me to remind people that Messias — who netted 5 times in 27 appearances — was brought in as backup for Alexis Saelemaekers (1 goal in 35 games).
And during an injury-filled season that saw Ante Rebic play on just 24 occasions for 2 goals, Milan fans and critics alike can eat their words. To win any title, there must always be a player that works tirelessly in the background. Junior Walter Messias was that player.
Deliverance: the action of being rescued or set free. This is Junior Messias.
For those of you who don’t know much about my writing, I’ve covered the Messias path on two previous occasions. Here in September 2021 and then again in December 2021.
Congratulations to AC Milan, Serie A Champion 2021/22
READ MORE FROM DAVID
Maradona: 7 Goals in 7 Years at Napoli
Parma’s Alessandro Circati Interview
Follow David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidferrini_