No special treatment for Magical Messi

KOLKATA: Apart from the elaborate security settling in place for his visit, Lionel Messi will receive no other 'special' treatment during his stay with the Argentina team.According to a reliable source, the management at the Argentine team hotel has been specifically been told by the team officials to treat every player equally. They have also been instructed not to organize any special programme for Messi as it may affect team spirit. Argentinan players will be occupying the entire fourth  floor of  Hyatt Regency during their stay here. The floor will be out of bounds for outsiders.

Interestingly, the entire Argentine delegation comprising 51 persons - including players, support staff and officials - have rooms booked till Monday even though the match will get over on Friday evening, indicating that Messi and his mates may well extend their stay in the City of Joy by a day or two before flying out to Dhaka where they take on Nigeria in another friendly on September 6.

Coach Alejandro Sabella, along with 18 other Argentina officials, including goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, arrived here on Monday morning. Sabella and his fellow-officials hardly looked jet-lagged despite a gruelling 33-hour journey. After checking in, they had a light breakfast before checking out the facilities at the hotel. Team's chief chef Diego Iacovoni laid out a continental buffet for lunch. Although Sabella did not visit the Salt Lake Stadium, a group of journalists from Argentina, did and came back impressed.