Shafaq News/ The World soccer and Barcelona player Lionel Messi called in an interview with a Kurd coach , the Kurdish young people to pay more attention to sports, and thanked them for their encouragement to Barcelona.

The former goalkeeper of the Iraqi team  and goalkeeping coach in the Al Sadd club Suhail Sabir Alhamawandi had met the Argentinean star in Barcelona Messi during the World Cup for clubs held last year in Japan, in which Al Sadd participated as the champion of the clubs of Asia and met Barcelona club the champion of Europe continent and lost with Barcelona which won the Cup championship.

Suhail Sabir said "in the World Cup Club World, which was held last year in Japan, at the end of the meeting Al-Sadd Club Barcelona I met Argentinean star Messi  who asked me question: Are you a Qatari ?, I told him: No, I am Kurd from Iraq and I have been training  goalkeepers in the Sadd for six years. "

He added that "Messi told me I wish you and young people of Kurdistan success, and I call the Kurdish youth to pay more attention to sports that to be models like you."  "I told Messi that the majority of young people in Kurdistan are a fan of your performance, and fans of Barcelona, and he  thanked us." He added.

Alhamawandi also met with Barcelona coach Pep Oardiola and a number of other players and exchanged opinions with them and took a number of photographs.

From Kurdish (RUDAW)