Maradona: Don't coddle Messi

Argentine World Cup winner Diego Maradona says it is time to stop coddling Lionel Messi after Argentina lost the Copa America final, with the Barcelona star scoring just one goal insix games. “It’s logical to fall, it is easy,” Maradona told Argentine paper Ole. “We have the best player in the world, one who can go and score four goals on Real Sociedad and then hecomes here and doesn’t score at all. You would say, but man, are you Argentine or Swedish? We need to stop busting on the folks who say that we should baby Messi. Messi needs to be treated just likewe treat all the other players who put on the national team uniform. He is the best in the world, for better or worse. But look, he didn’t kill or rape anyone. Let’s not turn this into a soapopera.”