Diego Armando Maradona has criticized fellow countryman Leo Messi [of the F.C.Barcelona] for being “selfish with the ball” after praising him a few months ago by calling him “my heir apparent”.  Gerard Pique [of the F.C. Barcelona] rushed to the defense of Messi by criticizing the sudden change of attitude of Maradona towards Messi and suggested that he should concentrate on playing football [soccer].

Leo Messi has demonstrated that he is a professional off and on the field. Leo Messi is one of the players who have managed to restore the grandeur of Argentina in his time with the Argentinian National Team and F.C. Barcelona. Leo Messi was instrumental in helping Argentina win a Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in the Beijing, China.

I would like to congratulate Gerard Pique for coming to the defense of Leo Messi. I also want to tell Maradona [although he will not hear me] the following: “Judge yourself before judge others.” If Maradona could look himself in the mirror, would he be able to see that he is no longer the person that commanded respect. Maybe Maradona may want to reply using politics and insults but I separate politics from sports. I am writing about Maradona from the viewpoint of a former fan.

The former fan once supported Maradona during the World Cup held in Argentina in 1978 as a sixteen year old. He heard the World Cup on his shortwave radio [RAE-Argentina was broadcasting the game on their shortwave service]. The former fan saw the 1978 World Cup on Cable TV [during its infancy] in Venezuela and New York. He also remembered how Maradona participated in a commercial extolling the need to get high on sports and not on drugs. The former fan had Maradona Posters along with Pele posters. Everything was going great until the fan had a change of heart. He saw on the television and heard on the shortwave radio about the drug problems that Maradona was undergoing and how Maradona did not want to take responsibility. The adolescent who once looked at Maradona and Pele as a God on the Earth immediately got a second opinion and then proceeded to remove the Maradona Paraphernalia. It was a sad and distraught moment but the adolescent decided that there must be some Maradona supporters and sold all of the Maradona Paraphernalia. The former fan felt that Maradona took his support, hopes, dreams, and aspirations to the highest level only to flush it down the nearest toilet. The former fan mentioned in the article is the author who is angered at Maradona’s criticism of Messi.  

Maradona has no right to criticize Messi when he himself has never been clean in sports and life. Maradona cannot criticize Messi when he admitted to hitting the ball with his hand during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Maradona has caused more damage to football/soccer than it can be counted with his drugs, “holier than thou” attitude, and trying to pass off as a celebrity. Maradona has not shown any remorse otherwise I would have forgiven him. Maradona must have criticized Messi out of jealousy. Maradona would not have been jealous if he had continued a path of separating drugs from sports. Maybe the World of Sports and Argentina may include Maradona as one of the greatest but Maradona will be remembered in my opinion as an individual who squandered everything and then stabbed Messi in the back out of spite. MARADONA: IF YOU HAVE NOTHING GREAT TO SAY, DON’T SAY ANYTHING!!!!!