WHEN looking after the highest-profile athlete on planet earth, you might expect the most extravagant and expensive methods and materials would be used get them in tip-top shape.
However, it seems that all you really need is a floral treatment, which can be purchased from Boots for a price that is lower than ten pounds.
8Lionel Messi was at a crossroads in his career in 2013Credit: EPA
8Messi paid Dr Giuliano Poser a visit in 2013
8Poser said him treating Messi changed his life
At the very least, this is the situation if you are Dr. Giuliano Poser, who handled Lionel Messi’s treatment from 2013 until 2018 and is familiar with his medical history.
A succession of injuries that were affecting Messi’s form were threatening to derail his incredible career, which included him winning the World Cup and seven Ballon d’Or honors. Messi’s career was on the verge of coming to an end.
The then-star of Barcelona and Argentina, who at age 26 was already considered a legend of the game, favored a diet consisting of pizza, carbonated drinks, and red meat.
However, as he got older, his body was no longer able to handle with the rigors of playing professional football and the lifestyle he led, which resulted in episodes of vomiting while he was on the field.
There had to be a sacrifice made.
This is where Dr. Poser, an Italian nutritionist, enters into the picture.
Messi took a flight to Sacile, which is located in Italy, to meet with Poser at his clinic.
Poser, who has worked in the field of sports medicine for the past two decades, advocated for certain unconventional practices in comparison to those of his contemporaries.
In the beginning, Poser demanded that Messi completely modify his eating habits.
According to Veronica Brunati, an Argentine journalist, Messi was instructed to only consume the nutrients that his body required, rather than those that it desired.
This meant that he had to eliminate from his diet any things that his body could not take.
None of the ingredients that go into making pizza, spaghetti, or white bread may be used, including flour, yeast, or wheat.
Pork, meat, eggs, shellfish, and dairy items were all removed from the diet, which meant that Messi would have to go without the Argentine favorite of asado. This was a motivating factor behind Argentina staying in student halls rather than a five-star hotel for the 2022 World Cup.
Naturally, the ban was extended to include alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages.
Poser guaranteed that they were replaced by a variety of possibilities of a good quality, despite the fact that it was a lot to remove.
The hole in the market was filled by natural and fresh items such as vegetables and seasonal fruits, mineral water, and a caffeine-rich tea drink called Mate, which is a South American specialty.
By the time the 2014-2015 season rolled around, Messi had successfully shed three kg of weight.
The explanation provided by Poser was as follows: “Good quality mineral water, seasonal fruits, and vegetables are all essential fuels for our muscles.”
“You need to cut back on your consumption of processed foods and foods that may contain antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, or other medications,” the doctor advised.
Low-priced and happy-making
On the other hand, the new diet was only the beginning of this completely new way of life.
Poser also pointed Messi in the direction of trying to find mental and physical balance by advocating emotional work and psychotherapy to him as a course of action.
Bach flower treatments, which were devised by Edward Bach in the 1930s, were possibly the most peculiar medicine that Poser gave for his patients.
It is believed that the remedies can help lessen unpleasant emotions such as anxiety by focusing on the limbic system, which is the area of the brain that is responsible for processing feelings.
Jennifer Aniston and Emma Watson are just two of the well-known celebrities who have admitted in the past that they make use of various alternative treatments.
Although you can get a bottle of this miracle cure for less than ten pounds at Boots, you should be aware that, as reported by Medical News Today, there is no concrete evidence that they are effective.
In spite of this, Messi made a spectacular comeback in the 2014–15 campaign, in which he played 57 games and contributed 58 goals, in addition to 31 assists.
This was a significant step up from the previous season, in which Messi had played in only 46 matches across all competitions, despite the fact that he had managed to rack up an incredible 41 goals and 14 assists overall.
8Messi used to be an avid enjoyer of red meat and pizzaCredit: Instagram/@leomessi
8Poser told Messi to use Bach remedies to help with his mental stateCredit: Getty – Contributor
Messi remained under the doctor’s care for a good number of years despite the fact that Poser’s techniques were successful.
However, all good things must come to an end, and Messi’s travels to Poser came to a stop in 2018 when he succeeded Andres Iniesta as the captain of Barcelona. Iniesta had been Messi’s teammate at Poser for many years.
After that, Messi made Dr. Maria Antonia Lizarraga Dallo, who is in charge of the nutrition staff for the Spanish giant, responsible for his health. She remained in that role until 2021, when Messi moved on to play for Paris Saint-Germain.
Since then, Messi’s career has only gone from strength to strength, culminating in the World Cup victory for Argentina in 2014.
Poser views their breakup as a welcome return to normalcy, despite the fact that he is grateful to Messi for the contribution that Messi made to his career.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, he provided the following explanation: “I’d say the Messi effect turned my life upside down, especially during the first three months, because the phone never stopped ringing and journalists appeared from all the corners of the world, who I didn’t see, of course.”
“That has an impact on anyone’s day-to-day existence, but it has an even greater impact on someone like me who lives a really quiet life.
“But, people all over the globe have seen Messi, and ever since that moment, they have been unable to continue to question my strategy. It can be observed on a weekly basis.”
All in a tizzy
The influence that Messi has had on Poser’s career has been significant.
Poser’s clientele now includes a number of other Argentine aces of their respective fields.
The Argentinean forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala paid a visit to the Italian in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Both ultimately felt the influence of Poser’s teachings on their lives.
In the case of former Chelsea star Higuain, he sought out the assistance of an Italian in order to assist him in overcoming a crisis of confidence.
In the same way that he did with Messi, Poser instructed Higuain to abstain from eating red meat, but he also told him to reduce the amount of fish he ate and to substitute honey for sugar in his diet.
After dropping those four kg, Higuain went on to have his best season ever at Napoli, scoring 38 goals in 42 matches for the club.
In a similar manner, Dybala sought the assistance of the able physician in order to get back into game shape in time to face Tottenham in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Despite the fact that he did not play in the first leg of the tie, Dybala came back to haunt Spurs in the second leg of the tie and scored the game-winning goal as Juventus completed an incredible comeback.
8Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala both felt the positive effects of Poser’s attentionCredit: Getty Images – Getty
8Higuain had the best season of his career after visiting the doctorCredit: EPA
8Dybala netted the winner against Tottenham in the Champions League after visiting Poser to help his injury recoveryCredit: EPA