Diego Maradona has advised Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to retire from Argentina duty. “Then we’ll see who they blame instead of him.”
Messi has not played for Argentina since their disastrous World Cup campaign, and Maradona claimed his country did not deserve the No 10, while taking a swipe at new Coach Lionel Scaloni, who ‘couldn’t even direct traffic’.
“How can you give the Argentine national team to Scaloni? For heaven's sake, he’s a good lad but he couldn’t even direct traffic!” he told Clarin.
“With all due respect, but with all the people who’ve given blood for this shirt, you entrust Argentina to him?
“And he also says, ‘I’m ready’. For heaven’s sake, we can go for a barbeque together but as a lad, not the Coach of our national team.
“I hoped he’d talk after the World Cup and send everyone to hell. It’s not his fault if we didn’t win, even if there was pressure on him.
“I’d tell him to retire from the national team and say goodbye. Do you know why? Because if Argentine lose, it’s his fault. If the Under-15s lose, it’s his fault…
“It’s always his fault. Let him stop and then we’ll see who they blame instead of him.”
