Messi will play for Argentina despite recent criticism

Messi clears the air a day after Argentine Football Association president Grondona warned that recent criticism could lead to the star player quitting the national team

Messi will play for Argentina despite recent criticism

Messi clears the air a day after Argentine Football Association president Grondona warned that recent criticism could lead to the star player quitting the national team

Lionel Messi. Pic/AFP

Earlier on Thursday, Julio Grondona, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), suggested Messi could stop playing for Argentina if fans and the media don't stop their criticism.

Grondona warning
Grondona had said: The solution would be for Messi to say: 'I will not come any more, I will stay in Spain'. What everyone acknowledges is that the Argentines want to put him down. Messi was born in Rosario, he lived and played there, he had growth problems. He followed his path, found a place ufffd Barcelona ufffd and they took care of him as if he was born there. And despite this, he said no to Spain because he wanted to play for Argentina. We have to reflect on this.

Messi however cleared the air at a press conference yesterday. "We suffered a lot with the criticism, although we know we were not doing things right, but at the same time they helped us, because they made us stronger as a group. Although I get criticised, I will always come to the national team. I come because I always want to play and I will not change because of what the press say," said Messi.

Media criticism was never a worry, said Messi. "I have never cared about what the press say and I will not start now. The only thing I care about is what the fans say... no-one likes to be insulted. I come to the national team because I feel it it is part of me, and I try to stay distant from all this. This is the first time I have been through something like this with the media, but I am not going to change."

Messi said it would be a mistake to compare the Argentina team with Barcelona. "It's a mistake to compare this team to Barcelona. We've all been working together at Barcelona for a long time. In the national team, we're
trying to do something similar, keeping hold of the ball, dictating the rhythm of the game, but you can't compare the two teams, either as a group or in terms of individuals," he said.

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