Maradona and Messi ... are two similar stars on the field who differ in character

The late legend Diego Maradona and his fellow Argentine, Barcelona captain Linel Messi, have the same genius about the ball on the field, but they are two completely different personalities.

Diego Maradona, who died on Wednesday at the age of 60, had an intermittent relationship with his compatriot Lionel Messi, which was characterized by severe criticism of the Barcelona player.

After announcing the death of his ideal, Messi said, "It is a very sad day for all Argentines and football. He has left us but he will not go, because Diego is eternal."

"I will preserve all the beautiful memories that I lived with him and send my warm condolences to his family and friends. Let him rest in peace," the Ballon d'Or holder continued on six occasions in a post via Instagram attached to two pictures of him with Maradona.

Both are small in size (1.69 meters tall Messi versus 1.65 meters Maradona), left-footed, dribbling geniuses, under-20 World Cup champions, and holders of the number 10 shirt in the tango team.

The comparison with Maradona came quickly from the first days of "The Flea" with the Catalan club.

The similarity was surprising when Messi, during a match in the Spanish Cup in 2007 against Getafe, repeated Maradona's memorable shot of his second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, when he dodged six players, including goalkeeper Peter Shelton, before hitting the net.

So the comparison started early when Messi was 20 years old as a promising player.

His father narrated on an Argentine channel and in the presence of Maradona how the former Rosario player with long hair was watching the goals and matches of "Pepe de Oro" (The Golden Boy) via the recorded tape.

At a time when Messi was scoring goals and reaping golden balls and titles in Barcelona, ​​the club of his life, the Argentina he left as a teenager began to wonder if he would offer something along the lines of "God".

During his tenure as Argentina coach (2008-2010), Maradona comforted Messi as carrying the Albiceleste team on his shoulders, getting him to practice free kicks in training, and publicly avoiding questions about the sterile and emotional debate that divides the Argentines: Who is the best between them ?, Is he Argentine or Swedish? "

Maradona said in 2012, "You will not force me to say a single word against Messi."

But over the years, Diego became more acute towards Leo, and he did not hesitate to say things that might hurt the latter, especially about Messi's failures with the national team.

Because unlike Maradona, who was famous for leading Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title "alone", Messi lost three finals in three years with the tango team (the 2014 World Cup in Brazil against Germany, the Copa America in 2015 and 2016 against Chile), as his glare diminishes every time. In crucial confrontations, such as the match against France in the World Cup in Russia 2018 in the semi-finals (4-3).

"It makes sense to blame him, it's easy. We have the best player in the world who can score four goals against Real Sociedad, he comes here and doesn't touch the ball. At one point you wonder: Is he really an Argentine," said Maradona, angry after losing the Copa America final in 2015. Maradona continued his blunt attack on Messi in 2018 during a program on a Mexican channel, accusing him of lacking a strong personality.

"Messi is a great player, but he is not a leader. Before talking to the coach and the players, he will play a playstation. Then on the field, he wants to be a captain. He is the best in the world with ( Portuguese) Cristiano (Ronaldo). "

"It is difficult to make a captain from a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before the match. Let's stop idolizing Messi. Messi is just another player from Argentina."

A month later, he denied having criticized him and praised him again, "Messi, I love him!"

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news