The Argentine President and Minister of Security have already stood up for the leading man in the country.

Surprising news came from Argentina: unknown people shot at a store owned by the family of Lionel Messi's wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. Two intruders on motorcycles drove up to the institution at about three in the morning, shot 14 times at the store building, and left an inscription addressed to the football player: "Messi, we are waiting for you. Yavkin is a drug dealer; he won't save you."

Pablo Yavkin is the current mayor of Rosario, where the store is located. The mayor promptly responded to the incident: "Where are those who should take care of us? Clearly, those with weapons and the ability to search for criminals do not, and it is straightforward for any gang to pull off something like that. What is needed now is a resonance to get attention. Roccuzzos is a working family from Rosario; you must take care of them because all this is very insidious.

As a result of the incident, no one was injured; during the attack, the institution was closed, and most of the bullets hit the shutters. But how could this happen in Argentina, where everyone idolized Leo? And what motives prompted the hooligans to attack?

The store that was attacked was opened about 40 years ago by the grandmother of Messi's wife. It all started with a small grocery business, later transformed into a supermarket chain by Antonella's parents, José and Laura Rocuzzo. Three daughters have always helped them in the family business. A successful business in Argentina is an excellent target for extortionists. In Rosario, since last year, the groups have been working according to a particular scheme: they shoot up establishments, leave threats, and then demand a monthly tribute in exchange for peace and security.

In the last month alone, the police received 10 complaints about this method of extortion. According to the prosecutor's office, the "proletariat" from the slums is getting into gangs. This hypothesis is the most apparent reason for the attack on the Messi family store. However, why would the mafia in Rosario attack a supermarket associated with the name of the most famous man in Argentina? This has attracted the attention of the whole world and will lead to inevitable measures inside the city. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has already announced this.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez: "We are doing a lot, but obviously, something else will need to be done because, in Rosario, the problem of violence and organized crime is severe. This morning I received terrible news from Rosario that a supermarket was shot at. I immediately contacted the mayor and talked to the chief of police headquarters. We are doing a lot, but obviously, we must investigate the details."

Local authorities are investigating the incident, and Argentine journalists have several alternative hypotheses about the causes of the incident. For example, Tyc Sports suggests that the attack may be linked to Rosario Mayor Pablo Yavkin and the social program Plan Cuidar, part of which is related to food distribution. The city mafia tried to win the favor of poor people with the help of products. But the bandits did not buy it themselves but obtained it by fraud under the mayor's program. During a search of the house of the famous drug dealer Viejo Cantero, 8 tons of food were found, aimed at social assistance to vulnerable segments of the population. After that, the mayor changed the food distribution scheme, which could lead to a mafia attack on a popular supermarket with the aim of intimidation.

Another theory links the attack to recent reports of Messi's potential move to Newell's Old Boys. The leading fan group of the team - Los Monos - has conflicted with the authoritative drug gang of Rosario for a long time. Since the mid-2000s, there have been countless attacks and crimes related to the feud between them. It is possible that the attack on Messi's wife's supermarket was intended to scare Leo away from a potential return to his native club.

Lionel Messi's mother, Celia Maria Cuccittini: "It's amazing because we've never been disturbed before. We always walk around the city without security. Thank God nothing more serious happened."

Argentine Security Minister Anibal Fernandez said the situation differs from the past 20 years in Rosario. The head of the ministry noted that "the attack is part of the mafia dynamic," but they are "ready to reverse the situation and take control of everything."

04.03.2023