Diego MARADONA comments on Lionel MESSI while attacking the likes of Angel DI MARIA and Lucas BIGLIA.
Speaking with Diario Popular in Dubai, Diego MARADONA had strong words to say about coach Jorge SAMPAOLI, while heaping praise on Lionel MESSI, Gonzalo HIGUAIN and Carlos TEVEZ. Here’s what the 1986 World Cup winner had to say:
Diego MARADONA on Gonzalo HIGUAIN
“Pipa (Gonzalo HIGUAIN) is 10 times better and for me deserves another chance. But this guy (Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI) knows nothing. What he does know is to go eat at his friend’s houses, that he knows perfectly. He goes even without a GPS.”
Diego MARADONA on Lionel MESSI
Diego Maradona stated that Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI is “lucky” because Argentina “has a 60% chance of being champions in Russia” as long as “the little guy MESSI is lighting it up. The others can sing in the choir but no one can replace him (MESSI) when he sings. The only one that can sing is him, the others can’t.”
Diego MARADONA on Lucas BIGLIA
MARADONA also talked about some of the setbacks in the National Team as well as the lack of midfielders who are able to recover the ball: “I say this without wanting to offend, BIGLIA (Lucas BIGLIA), would you have ever imagined him wearing the shirt of the National Team?”
Diego MARADONA on the Argentina National Team
“What bothers me is that it’s cost us a lot to respect us, that people are afraid of Argentina. Today, except for MESSI, they have lost respect for the shirt. In the last match against Nigeria (in a 4-2 loss), we could have gotten eight scored on us, please…”
On the possible inclusion of River Plate’s Leonardo PONZIO (now 36 in the Argentina team)
“Don’t fuck around, if PONZIO is the savior of Argentina’s midfield, we’re talking about a team like Honduras.”
Diego MARADONA on Carlos TEVEZ
MARADONA stated that “he deserves a chance”. “It’s not a debate. We have no one else. We’re rubbing two rocks together to get a number nine, one that can perform. Carlitos is cold blooded, it’s contagious.”
Diego MARADONA on Angel DI MARIA
“The other day, they asked DI MARIA what his dream was. “Winning the Champions League” he said. And the World Cup with the National Team? That’s how they think.”
On Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI:
“We had a project with SAMPAOLI in Sevilla. He called me when I was watching the final of the Davis Cup in Croatia, he was desperate. “Call me when you’re in Dubai and we’ll talk” I told him. He said “No Diego, Sevilla wants to pay tribute to you. “How? Don’t fuck with me, I played three matches with Sevilla.” It didn’t make sense to me. What happened there is that he had everything setup with the National Team and he wanted to use me for the picture. He wanted me to be his shield.”
