Lionel Messi is not a leader, according to Diego Maradona, with the Barcelona and Argentina talisman accused of “going to the bathroom 20 times before a game”.
At 31 years of age and having spent more than a decade as an elite performer in the global game, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is accustomed to shouldering pressure and expectation.
He has, however, struggled with the burden of captaincy at times , despite having taken the armband for club and country in recent years.
The 1986 World Cup winner, who saw the Albiceleste struggle at Russia 2018 over the summer, told La Ultima Palabra Mexico : “Messi’s a great player, but he’s not a leader.
“Before talking to the coach and players, he’ll play on the PlayStation. Then, on the field, he wants to be the leader. He’s the best in the world with Cristiano [Ronaldo].
“For me, it’s difficult to say it but it’s useless to make a leader out of a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game.
“There’s no two ways about it. Let’s stop making a God out of Messi. Messi is just another player for Argentina.”