CRESPO SAYS ARGENTINA STILL CAPABLE MINUS MESSI
CHENNA – Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world despite never winning a major international trophy for Argentina, former Barcelona teammate and Brazil great Ronaldinho said yesterday.
The 29-year-old Messi, who retired from international duty last month after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America final, is his country’s top scorer with 55 goals. The five times World Player of the Year has played in three Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final, but lost them all.
Cristiano Ronaldo, his frequent rival for Fifa’s prestigious Ballon d’Or, recently won Euro 2016 with Portugal, to reignite the debate about which of the two is the world’s best player.
“For me, Messi leaving international football does not change anything,” Ronaldinho told reporters yesterday. “He is still the best football player in the world. The respect I have for him doesn’t change at all.
“And if he really has decided to leave international football then the sport will miss his presence, and so will the fans,” added Ronaldinho, who plays in India’s Premier Futsal league.
Ronaldinho, who played at Barcelona for five years from 2003, said he had nurtured Messi when the pair played together at the Nou Camp. He said the Argentine had followed in his footsteps by helping to guide Brazil forward Neymar at the Spanish champions.
“I am not there to see. But I believe the attention and dedication I had for Messi, is the same thing Messi is doing for Neymar because it’s very important for a more experienced player to share things with younger players,” the 36year-old Ronaldinho said.
“And that I believe is one of the reasons that Neymar has adapted to the club and their style of play.”
Ronaldinho, the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, has been without a club since a two-month spell at Brazilian side Fluminense last year and has not ruled out playing in India.
Meanwhile, Hernan Crespo, Argentina’s former forward, believes the country will fight for major honours despite Messi’s retirement.
Crespo, 41, said the focus should now be on ensuring Argentina remain a force and take the next step to end the country’s 23-year wait for a major trophy.
“The Argentina national team is very competitive.
If you watch the last three tournaments — two Copa America finals and one World Cup final — you are competitive, you arrive in the final of great events,” said Crespo.
“I hope to see our national team win but I don’t want to say that Messi was at fault, it’s not good. Messi played very well.
He is the top scorer of the national team.
He is the best player in the world. It’s unlucky.
“But it’s not about Messi. It’s about the last 23 years the national team never won [a major trophy].
“Yes they won the Olympic games [in 2004 and 2008] but, at the same time, we have lost a lot of finals.
“However, we are still competitive.
“This is just the way. I think maybe next time we will win.”
Along with Ronaldinho, Argentina’s third-highest goalscorer plays in India’s Futsal league. –