Diego Maradona has questioned the motives behind Lionel Messi's decision to retire from international football and his subsequent U-turn.
ADVERTISEMENT
Maradona questions Messi U-turn
Diego Maradona believes Lionel Messi's decision to reverse his international retirement may have been a ruse.
___5326540___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5326540___2016___8___25___17___lionelmessidiegomaradona-cropped_1mxfnqfuepmv611rtcal6qwdnq
Recommended articles
Messi announced his intention to step down from Argentina duty in the immediate aftermath of the Copa America final defeat to Chile in June.
But following talks with new Argentina boss Edgardo Bauza, Messi has made himself available once again and is expected to feature in the meeting with Uruguay on September 1 and the trip to Venezuela five days later.
Bauza has called for an end to what he referred to as "Messi-dependence", but Maradona has suggested the whole saga is a ruse to mask Argentina's recent failures at international level, with defeats in the 2014 World Cup final, the 2015 Copa America final and the title-match at this year's Copa Centenario still fresh in the memory.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 1986 World Cup winner told Radio La Red: "I do not know if Messi's retirement was a set-up to help us forget about the fact that we lost three finals in a row.
"The lad first said that he was going to give up and then took a step back and managed to change his mind in just a matter of weeks."
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
The Intersection of Enthusiasm: United Kingdom's local motorsports and Ghana's rising stars
Video: Watch Fatawu Issahaku’s hat trick in Leicester City’s win against Southampton
RTU suspends coach Abdulai Mumin over match-fixing allegations
Hearts of Oak are better off playing with an empty post than using Richard Attah – Taylor
Sorry for causing you a lot of pain – Dr. Prosper Ogum apologizes to Kotoko fans
Govt hasn't paid us – African Games gold medalist Winnifred Ntumi 'cries' out
Dumsor is part of the reasons why we lost against Legon Cities – Hearts of Oak coach
Black Stars midfielder Daniel Kofi Kyereh to miss rest of season due to injury
