Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona has criticized his own country for its runner-up finish in the recently-concluded World Cup, saying the team anchored on Lionel Messi did not play at all.
Maradona was the star of the Argentine national team that won the 1986 World Cup. He also served as the national team coach in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Always outspoken, Maradona said the Argentine team was so good they should have won matches by at least three goals. According to Kazakh TV, Maradona criticized the inability of the Argentine national team to fully exploit the talents of Messi. He was quoted as saying that “This team does not play at the World Cup in Brazil. Messi played five times better when I was a coach than under the leadership of Sabella. And do not tell me that he has sacrificed himself for the team. As a coach of the national team, I do like neither Sabella nor Rousseau”
Maradona was referring to current coach Alejando Sabella. Argentina lost a close 1-0 decision to Germany in the World Cup championship game in Rio de Janeiro. Maradona’s team in the South Africa World Cup, meanwhile, was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Sabella has been contemplating on resigning as Argentina head coach after the World Cup. Maradona, meanwhile, worked as a commentator for a Venezuelan television station that covered the recent World Cup.
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