Maradona criticizes Lionel Messi and co, says current Argentina team doesn't deserve to wear the jersey

Argentina v Venezuela - International Friendly
Argentina v Venezuela - International Friendly

What's the story?

Argentine legend and World Cup winner, Diego Maradona, heavily criticized the current Argentina team and the management after their recent loss against Venezuela.

Maradona claimed that the current Argentine players do not deserve to play for the National team and stated that he feels sorry for the fans.

In case you didn't know...

Diego Maradona remains one of the greatest players of all time, arguably the best for many. His exploits helped Argentina clinch the World Cup win in 1986 and his stint with Napoli led to a glorious era for the club.

Meanwhile, Argentina's troubles continued as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. Lionel Messi returned to national duty for the first time since the World Cup but failed to help his national side register a win.

The 31-year-old Argentine is enjoying another spectacular season with Barcelona with 39 goals and 21 assists in all competition so far.

But the current problems with Albiceste were depicted in their latest defeat and will be a cause of concern before the upcoming Copa America.

The heart of the matter

Maradona heavily criticized the team and management of Argentina, claiming that he feels sorry for his country and the fans.

“I prefer not to watch horror films but I don’t know how the inept bunch who are in charge of Argentina thought they were going to beat Venezuela.”
"It hurts me because I feel Argentinean to the core, but with the generation of players like [Oscar] Ruggeri, [Gabriel] Batistuta, [Claudio] Caniggia"
"The current team don’t deserve to wear the shirt and those players had it tattooed on them. We’d give our lives to see the back of [Claudio] Tapia, who has no idea what he’s doing.”

What's next?

Argentina will face Morocco before the players resume their respective roles for their clubs.

Time is running out for Lionel Messi to lift an international trophy in his glittering career as he is not getting any younger. The upcoming Copa America will be a perfect chance for him to add to his tally.

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