It is a mistake to compare Argentina to Barcelona as the Spanish club have been working as a unit for a lot longer, Lionel Messi said on Thursday.
Argentina have been pilloried by the media after drawing their opening two Copa America games before crushing Costa Rica 3-0 in their final group match, thanks largely to an inspired Messi performance. They face Uruguay in the quarter-finals today.
While Messi has been largely spared the criticism, his commitment to the Argentine set-up has been questioned in the past. Some pundits have even suggested he might walk away from the national side and concentrate on club soccer at Barcelona.
Photo: Reuters
“I’ve never been bothered by what they say in the press and I never will be,” he said. “I don’t think anyone likes it when they’re whistled and insulted. We’re the first ones who want to do things well.”
“It’s a mistake to compare this team to Barcelona,” he added. “We’ve all been working together at Barcelona for a long time.”
Argentina are hoping Messi can lead them to their first major success since their last Copa America triumph in Ecuador in 1993.
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