Lionel Messi blasts Argentina critics in foul-mouthed rant

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Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has slammed critics of the Argentina national team in a feisty TV interview.

Argentina, led by Messi, has lost two major finals in two years, going down 1-0 to Germany in the World Cup final in Brazil and falling to hosts Chile on penalties in the final of the 2015 Copa America.

Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has a complicated relationship with football fans in his native Argentina.

While many Argentines idolise the number 10 and consider him the national team's greatest chance of achieving success, others have complained he does not inspire the team in the way Diego Maradona once did.

Messi told TyC Sports he thinks those critics need some perspective.

"I get annoyed when they tell us 'put in more effort, you don't feel the shirt'," he said

"We were lucky enough to get to the final of the World Cup and the Copa America and it's as though we didn't do anything.

"We got to two finals, for f***'s sake

"We didn't win, what can you do, but we got to the final, we didn't lose in the round of 16."

Messi was named player of the tournament at the 2014 World Cup, but his performances dipped in the knock-out stages and he was unable to make a major impact in the final.

Some in Argentina claim he does not play with the same passion for Argentina as he does for his club side, Barcelona, which has enjoyed a huge amount of success in recent years.

A constant critique is that he does not sing the national anthem before games, but Messi says this is just his way.

"Football is not just about effort. We had bad times in the national team for what we experienced," he said.

"We lost the final of the World Cup against Germany who have great players and we had great chances to win it. With Chile it was the same and we lost on penalties.

"I get annoyed by the people who attack you without thinking. I won't sing the national anthem on purpose. I don't need to sing it to feel it.

"It reaches me, every person feels it in their own way. The Pumas cry, they feel it differently and that's ok."

Argentina currently sits in second spot in the FIFA rankings, while Messi is second on the all-time list of scorers for his country, trailing Gabriel Batistuta by seven goals.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-14/lionel-messi-blasts-argentina-critics-in-foul-mouted-rant/7025094?section=sport

Fans and pundits like to go on about 'passion' and 'spirit', but in the end they're in the same category as 'experience', change actually very little on the pitch.

Good for him. Finally telling stupid idiot haters to go *bleep* themselves.

ES wrote:@Albiceleste

ES wrote:@Albiceleste

Dead

I miss Albi

Messi

M99 wrote:I miss Albi

Anyone know what happened to him? He just disappeared..

Perma banned, but BC is Argentine, I think , lets call him.

Looks like he's at 100% though

Badassi

The not singing the national anthem criticism has always annoyed me, no matter what sport or who

Who cares if you sing it or not ffs

Same here. They are competing for football titles and not for the Eurovision Song Contest

Harmonica wrote:Perma banned, but BC is Argentine, I think , lets call him.

There can only be one

As far as I recall Messi can't speak English, so is there a direct translation from Spanish to English for 'for *bleep*'s sake'

El Gunner wrote:As far as I recall Messi can't speak English, so is there a direct translation from Spanish to English for 'for *bleep*'s sake'

http://www.goallegacy.net/t37323p774-the-lionel-messi-appreciation-thread-fan-club-ii#1537489

That doesn't exactly answer my question