Diego Maradona: Lionel Messi didn't deserve to win the Golden Ball award
Maradona admits there were other deserving candidates and questions Sabella’s tactics
1986 World Cup winner and former Argentina player, Diego Maradona, has blasted FIFA for awarding Lionel Messi with the Golden Ball award and has said that it was a marketing plan by game’s biggest parent body.
“Messi? I would give him heaven if possible,”said Maradona on a television show.
“But it’s not right when someone wins something that he shouldn’t have won just because of some marketing plan,” he added Maradona.
Maradona expressed his sadness in Argentina not winning their third title and felt it happened due to a misunderstanding in the Argentine defence.
"I feel sorry for my country. Mario Gotze's goal really hurt. There's a huge sadness in my heart that we lost the final," he said.
"All things put together, I think Argentina deserved at least penalties. That Germany won was the result of a misunderstanding in the Argentine defence,"said the legend.
Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany in extra-time after substitute Mario Gotze’s goal helped his team to taste their first World Cup success since reunification.
Maradona also questioned his compatriot, coach Alejandro Sabella’s ploy of substituting Ezequiel Lavezzi for Sergio Agüero.
“I don’t understand the substitution of Lavezzi. He was phenomenal down the wing. Kun Agüero didn’t have the same impact. It was not his tournament,” said the World Cup winning captain.
Messi upset about squandered chances, disappointed not to lift the trophy
Albiceleste star forward Lionel Messi, in a post-match interview, expressed his sadness after he was unable to lead his team to their third title.
“Right now I don’t care about the prize. I don’t care about anything. I wanted to take Argentina to the World Cup for all the people,” said the Barcelona striker in an interview to Spanish newspaper AS.
“I believe this World Cup deserved another final because we had chances. We reached the final, while other Argentinians didn’t get past the quarter-finals. But we’re disappointed not to have won this game. There’s a lot of anger,”added Messi.
“While they had control of the ball I think we had the clearer chances. We weren’t lucky enough to be able to take them, but I believe our chances were clear.”
“We had three clear chances - mine, Gonzalo Higuain’s and Rodrigo Palacio, but we couldn’t get it. Now we have to go forward,” said a dejected Messi.
Argentina could have won quite comfortably after Higuain,Messi and Rodrigo Palacio missed clear chances which ultimately played a huge role in helping Germany clinch their fourth title.