Maradona hits out at Barca’s Messi over toilet habits

Joe Williams

Diego Maradona has hit out at Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi by saying he couldn’t “make a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a match into the leader”.

Messi has scored 563 goals in 648 appearances for Barca, while he has just over one goal in every two matches for his country as well.

However, Messi has sometimes been criticised for not turning up on the big stage for his national team as they were beaten 4-3 by France in the last-16 of the World Cup this summer.

And Maradona, who watched Argentina at the World Cup, thinks Messi’s pre-match antics mean he isn’t a worthy candidate for a leadership role.

“He does ask for it on the pitch, but before speaking to team-mates he’ll go and play the Playstation,” Maradona told Mexican programme ‘La Ultima Palabra’.

“For me it’s difficult to talk, but it’s pointless wanting to make a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a match into the leader.

“Messi is Messi at Barcelona and Messi is Messi with Argentina.

“I wouldn’t call up Messi, but never say never.

“There’s a need to take pressure off him.

“There’s a need to take the leadership away from Messi, as we want him to be Messi, which he wouldn’t be.”