Messi has a different leadership style to Maradona

Cesar Luis Menotti has backed Diego Maradona’s comments about Lionel Messi’s leadership qualities and attempted to explain a fundamental difference in the character of the two Argentina legends.

Maradona recently claimed Messi ‘doesn’t have the personality to be a leader,’ and questioned his suitability to captain Argentina.

But Menotti, who won the 1978 World Cup as manager of Argentina and was in charge of Maradona during the 1982 World Cup and at Barcelona, praised Messi’s contributions and said comparisons of the pair`s leadership style cannot work because of their different backgrounds, reports ESPN.

‘Leo is always motivated,’ he told Marca. ‘I’ve always said that [Messi] grew up in Barcelona, surrounded by the big stars, and doesn`t have the DNA of Maradona, who came through a small team of Argentines, with all that this implies.

‘For me, Messi is not a leader in that sense of being born fighting from below, but for me Messi has an exceptional and overwhelming footballing personality and is a tremendous football player.

‘Diego was trying to say that he`s not the kind of leader to stand before the group and shout and encourage in the way that he himself did, but the culture is different now.

‘For me, in football terms, his personality is very strong as he provides assists and scores many free kicks, of all types.

‘Argentina is where it is thanks to Messi because without him they wouldn’t have got through the first round of the World Cup. He is the best player of recent years, comparable only to Pele, Maradona or Cruyff.’

Messi will captain Argentina against Chile in the Copa America Centenario as he looks to win his first major honour with the Albiceleste, and Menotti thinks Gerardo Martino’s spell in charge has been positive.

‘Argentina, with Tata Martino, has become a team which represents his ideas, something he could not do at Barcelona as their style is non-negotiable,’ Menotti said.

‘Tata likes to play with three combative midfielders, players who never score but who have great technique. Now the team sits back more and doesn’t pressure as high up the pitch. Up front they don’t create much play, but they have Messi.’