Argentine Football Association’s boss, Julio Humberto Grondona, stated that “Lionel Messi is the best number ten (playmaker) in the history of Argentine football”. Thus, Grondona dethroned football legend Diego Armando Maradona, with whom the FA’s head has exchanged heavy fire over the past weeks after the ex player attacked Grondona with some controversial comments.
Grondona told reporters that “Messi, Maradona, Riquelme, and Verón are from another planet.”
Likewise, Grondona remembered some other Argentine playmakers that left their magic on the Argentine fields. “Those were the cases of Antonio Sastre, José Manuel Moreno, Gerardo Martino, Ricardo Bochini, José Sanfilippo, and Angel Labruna.”
Asked about the poor level shown by local teams at all divisions, the AFA’s leader said: “Last First Division tournament was pretty balanced in terms that several teams were there fighting for the ring. Our main problem is that all good young talents don’t last as they emigrate overseas too fast, so you can’t really tell what your team’s lineup is going to be for next game.”
On regards rumours indicating that the tournament system could move back to the old yearly-long season (just like Europe) instead of the current system in which two short tournaments (Clausura and Apertura) are played, Grondona indicated that “It’s a decision that is not up to me. It is the clubs’ authorities who can take such a decision.”
