Feeling the babies kick

Hey, not bad for a kid who probably has yet to tackle long division, dangling participles, or even the more confounding art of fixing his tie with a Windsor knot. Right now, it looks as though Little Leo has himself an express ticket to Futbol Bountyville.

The soccer wunderkind told the Spanish newspaper ABC that his three goals are to:

1. meet Messi, the world’s greatest player, Lionel Andres Messi, a fellow Argentine.

2. play first division futbol with Madrid (minimum age 16, and you can bet they card).

3. suit up for Argentina in the World Cup.

Coira’s signing, for all the media coverage it generated last week, especially here in the youth-sports-nuthouse USA, isn’t that big a deal in Europe. Club spokesman Juan Tapiador noted to Andres Cala, correspondent for the Chrisitan Science Monitor, that Real annually signs a handful of boys, age 9-11, to play for its youth squads. This is the first year that Real will include a division for the 7-9 age group, designated the “Benjamin’’ league (presumably no correlation to the US $100 bill with that smiling Benjamin Franklin on the front).

All Coira will receive, according to Cala’s report, is “top-of-the-line training for termed loyalty.’’ No payment involved. No commitment, either side, beyond the one year. Little Leo will spend the season playing and training for Real, the club will cover all of his transportation costs, and then he is free to decide next summer whether he wants to suit up again for Real or Atletico, or take his talents to, say, some south beach in Spain. Be sure to check ESPN listings for the decision.

Most of these mini-Messis don’t make it to the big time. But it happens. Madrid goalkeeper/icon Iker Casillas, now 30 years old, signed with Real as a 9-year-old. Twenty-plus years later, Casilla is the Real captain and also has captained the country’s World Cup squad. Success breeds success, and now Coira, who moved to Spain with his family three years ago, is the newest and youngest top kid on the pitch.