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What's the story?
Juan Sebastian Veron, one of the few lucky players to have played with two of Argentina's greatest ever footballers in Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, has said that comparing the two players of different eras unfair and useless.
In case you didn't know...
Messi has always found himself subjected to comparisons with Maradona ever since his rise to prominence and more so since he donned the latter's famous No.10 jersey for the Albicelestes.
Though most Argentinians love both of these legends, due to Maradona's World Cup triumph in 1986 and the Barcelona captain's lack of silverware with the national side, many believe the former to be the better player.
The heart of the matter...
For many fans across the globe, the Messi-Maradona debate has long been a seriously contentious issue. But Veron, who had the fortune of having a first-hand experience of sharing the dressing room with both of them, feels it is impossible to determine who is better.
When asked to reveal his pick between the two, in an interview with 90min, he replied:
“It is difficult, very complex."
“Some say Maradona, because he won a World Cup. Those who did not see Maradona and did see Messi are going to tell you Messi."
He went on to say that both of these players have immense contributions to the game and to compare them against one another is something he feels to be unfair and termed the so-called debate a waste of time. He continued:
“I think those kinds of comparisons with players that have given us so much in football seem very unfair. Such discussions lead to nothing, they are useless.”
He also reflected a bit on his career as a player and opened up about his favorite coach in the course of the interview. Surprisingly, it wasn't former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, under whom he trained for two season. He said:
“For me, the best at that who I worked with was Sven-Goran Eriksson."
What's next?
Messi returned from a spell on the sidelines in a goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League in his first appearance of the season for Blaugrana.
It is expected that he will start against Granada in their upcoming La Liga fixture.
