Maxi Lopez looks tranquil as he settles into one of the sofas in the reception of the Le Meridien St Julian’s on the evening of January 2.

Messi’s progress at Barcelona has been astonishing... in the space of one year he became a true champion, an incredible phenomenon

After weeks of speculation linking him with a lucrative transfer, Maxi Lopez will probably have embraced the start of 2012 with enthusiasm as January is supposed to be the month when the Catania striker finally fulfils his dream of joining a club of international repute.

Given all the media rumours surrounding his next destination, you’d expect the Argentine forward to be somewhat reluctant to speak to members of the fourth estate but his relaxed demeanour goes a long way towards allaying my doubts at the start of our conversation.

It soon becomes clear that, for all his willingness to advance in his career, Maxi Lopez is not impatient to leave Catania... he’s grateful to be earning his living doing what he likes most.

“Football is a big passion, an immense pleasure,” he enthuses.

“It’s also a fortune to be able to make a living from a sport that everybody likes.

“I’m honoured to be with an important Serie A club. For us South Americans, this is the way forward, we have to build our future on these opportunities.

“I’ve always wanted to play in Italy. When I was young, I watched the Serie A games which kicked off in early morning while in Europe it was in the afternoon. I’m very happy to be playing in Italy.”

Growing up in Buenos Aires, Maxi Lopez spent 16 years with boyhood club River Plate.

“I spent almost a lifetime with River,” the blonde striker recalls.

“I began to play for the club when I was a little boy, only five years old, and stayed there until I was 20 when I moved to Europe. I went to school at River Plate and also played amateur football for the club.

“I was 17 when I made my professional debut for my team. I won three cham-pionships in Argentina and played with some great champions.”

A big fan of Uruguayan great Enzo Francescoli, Lopez soon forged a reputation as one of the most talented forwards in Argentine football.

All the hype about Lopez, then aged 21, appeared to have been vindicated when Barcelona signed him from River Plate but he found the going tough with the Catalans.

Despite his failure to make a lasting impact at Barcelona, Maxi Lopez has fond memories of his time in Spain.

“Barcelona paid €7 million to get me from River Plate,” he explains.

“It was my first experience in European football and at the time, there was Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Henrik Larsson at Barca, all great strikers.

“I was taking my first steps there but competition for places was tight. When I forced my way into the team, I sustained an injury and when I returned, after three months, the space (in the first team) was limited.

“I made up my mind to leave because I wanted to play. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time with Barcelona. In those two years, we won two La Liga titles, one Champions League and one Spanish Super Cup... it was a great moment in my career.”

“A lot has changed since I was there (at Barcelona),” Lopez replies when asked if he rues the timing of his transfer to the Nou Camp in light of Barca’s extraordinary success in the last three years.

“During my time, they were laying the foundations for global success. Barcelona have made great changes in world football and this has been the best period in the club’s history.”

Lionel Messi, who has just won the Ballon d’Or for the third year in a row, has been one of the architects of Barca’s global domination.

When Lopez was with Barcelona, Messi was still turning out for the club’s B team but the Catania striker had a close relationship with the then star-in-the-making.

“When I was there (at Barcelona), Messi was still playing in the second division with the reserves,” Maxi Lopez reminisces.

“He began to get into the first team gradually. Messi came to my house everyday, spending time with us on the playstation.

“We were always together.

“Messi’s progress at Barcelona has been astonishing, in the space of one year he became a true champion, an incredible pheno-menon.”

In the eyes of many, Messi is al-ready up there with the likes of Diego Maradona and Pele but Maxi Lopez thinks the 24-year-old will further enhance his status if he replicates his club success with Argentina.

“I think Lionel Messi still has some way to go,” Maxi Lopez remarks.

“He has the potential to become the greatest player. At club level he’s very strong, possibly the greatest, but he has yet to become a champion with the national team.

“If he manages that and they succeed in building a strong team around him, he will surely become one of the all-time greats.”

Russia move

Maxi Lopez’s decision to continue his career in Russia with the now-defunct FC Moscow caused a few eyebrows to be raised but he was determined to climb his way back up the ladder.

“I went around the world after Barcelona but I enjoyed the experience,” Lopez recounts.

“With FC Moscow, we reached the Europa League target. It was a pleasant experience, I was there for two-and-a-half years.

“After Russia, I wanted to get back to top-level football but to achieve that, I had to take a backward step and joined Gremio in Brazil.

“It was an immense pleasure... for us Argentines to play in Brazil is a bit difficult but I still had a great time.

“I played around 40 games for Gremio, scoring 20 goals . The people in Brazil have remained close to my heart.”

Lopez’s perseverance was rewarded as, less than three years after leaving Spain, he was on his way to Italy to join Catania.

“I’m very grateful to have been granted this opportunity in the Serie A,” he remarks.

“Catania is a team that, with all its characteristics, still manages to move forward. This season, we are doing well and I believe we can do even better. The club is growing. If you want to get to a better club, you have to do well at a club like Catania.

“When I joined Gremio in 2009, I said to myself that I would spend one year in Brazil and return to Europe. It was a fixed idea I had in my head and everything has panned out how I planned. Now, I think I’ve made the right choice.”

Despite making a name for himself as a skilful striker, Maxi Lopez has never played for Argentina while, in the past, there has been talk of potential interest from Italy as the 27-year-old owns an Italian passport.

Maxi Lopez is not ready to surrender hope of experiencing international football.

“Until now, I haven’t had the opportunity to play for my country,” he says.

“I always try to give my maximum to be ready if the opportunity comes.

“Occasionally, there has been talk of an Italy call-up... I mean, if I get an invitation from Italy or Argentina, they are both great footballing nations.

“I hope to get there one day. If one or the other (Argentina or Italy) offered me the chance, it would be a great joy. The Italian side is very important and, in my opinion, if I’m doing well in this championship, the opportunity could come up but I try not to think a lot about it.”

Serie A image blow

After the much-publicised match-fixing case of 2006, the image of Italian football suffered a further blow this season when former Atalanta and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni and ex-Lazio striker Giuseppe Signori were among those implicated in the calcio scommesse (football bets) scandal.

Maxi Lopez acknowledges that this episode has dragged Italian football in the mire.

“It’s difficult,” he observes.

“He who commits mistakes gets punished. These things are not good for the sport. We should all strive to improve so that these things don’t happen because it is always football that suffers.

“We have to do this for the benefit of the players, club officials and the supporters who are the most important part of this spectacle.

“I believe that, after this dark moment, Italian football will recover.”

As for his own future, Lopez thinks that he has reached the maturity to go to a club with higher ambitions than those of Catania but the Argentine, whose contract has another 18 months left to run, is calm.

“I’m still a Catania player,” he says.

“If an opportunity arises, the club will certainly evaluate it and we shall see what happens. I’m ready to make a step forward.

“My aim is to move to a stronger club, maybe to regain the possibility of playing in the Champions League.”

Catania turned down an offer from Fulham for Maxi Lopez on Friday while Fiorentina and Wolfsburg have also been linked with the striker. In the past few days there have been fresh reports that Milan may revive their interest after pulling out of talks to sign Carlos Tevez.

Although Maxi Lopez is believed to be keen on joining Milan, he’d also fancy a move to England or Germany.

“It’s an interesting prospect,” he said.

“I’ve already moved from Spain to Russia, Russia to Brazil and then Italy. If I play in England or Germany, I think it would represent a forward step.”

Catania’s director general Pietro Lo Monaco stirred controversy with his criticism of many aspects of the club’s winter training camp in Malta but Maxi Lopez’s impressions of our country are postive.

“The people here (in Malta) have been friendly, they have treated us well,” Maxi Lopez said.

“They are very similar to the Sicilians. I will certainly look to return and tour the island because it’s a nice place.”