Valdano: Messi unfairly treated by Argentina fans

Former Argentina international Jorge Valdano claims that Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi is unfairly made a scapegoat for the national team’s failures.

Messi has been criticized for his performances for Argentina, by many people, including national legend Diego Maradona, claiming that the 28-year-old forward does not perform at the same level as he does for his club. Argentina’s final losses to Germany and Chile in the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa America respectively have only increased the pressure on him.

Messi managed to score just once in the Copa last month, and therefore many Argentina fans have voted in favour of benching the Barcelona star. But the 1986 World Cup winner Valdano has stated that Messi is hailed as the hero when the team succeeds, but is unfairly criticized when things do not go as expected.

“I understand people need scapegoats, and they also need heroes. Messi carries the two roles on his shoulders,” Valdano told Mundo D in an interview.

“When the team wins and he contributes to the success with his fantastic football, we go to the altar to worship him. When the team loses, we go to the same altar to sacrifice him.”

“In five of the six games he played at the Copa America in Chile, he was chosen as the best player. When you have the pressure of a nation on your back, it’s difficult to enjoy it. Messi, in those moments, plays with 40 million people watching him.”

Former Real Madrid player Valdano has compared Messi to Brazilian legend Ronaldo, stating that the pressure experienced by Messi is similar to what Ronaldo went through, before the 1998 World Cup final.

“I knew the Brazilian Ronaldo closely. He was fun, intelligent and with truly fascinating footballing conditions,” Valdano continued.

“When he got to the final of France ’98 he suffered an attack which still hasn’t been explained by science. It had to do with the pressure on his nervous system.”