High expectations a ‘sufferance’ for Messi

MADRID: Former Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli said the ‘Albiceleste’ were saddled with excessive expectations at the World Cup, stifling the performances of his players, including Lionel Messi.

Argentina were tipped as possible winners of the tournament in Russia but were eliminated at the knockout phase following a tense 4-3 defeat to eventual champions France.

“The best player in the world (Messi) was devoted” to the Argentina cause, Sampaoli said in comments to Spanish sports daily Marca. “At his club (Barcelona) he has great stability. But when he comes to the national team a collective hysteria takes over and it’s like we’re expected to win. This is not possible. If we don’t win, it’s him (Messi) who cops all the criticism. So you can’t play, and you can’t enjoy it.”

“The weight of expectation on this team was too heavy. We all felt pushed by the obligation to win, which meant it was difficult for us to express our talents.”

WEMBLEY SALE TO BE PROBED BY FA

LONDON: The Football Association has confirmed they are investigating allegations of “systemic corruption” surrounding the controversial proposed sale of Wembley to Fulham owner Shahid Khan. Craig Kline, Fulham’s former assistant director of football operations, used a series of Twitter posts to demand the FA stop the planned sale.

The FA Council meets on Thursday to discuss Shahid Khan’s £600 million ($800 million) offer to buy Wembley, a deal which has divided opinion in the English game. In a statement, an FA spokesperson said: “We have recently been contacted by Craig Kline who has made a series of allegations about Fulham FC. We are currently in the process of reviewing these allegations.”