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Maradona was great but Messi is the best in history, insists Argentina boss Scaloni.
Argentina manager, Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged that Lionel Messi is the “best in history” ahead of the “great” Argentina icon Diego Maradona.
Messi led Argentina to their third World Cup victory and first since Maradona’s triumph with La Albiceleste in 1986, earning him the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player.
Scaloni is now sure that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has eclipsed Maradona in the list of all-time greats after the Paris Saint-Germain superstar scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games as he lit up the Qatar tournament.
When the Argentina boss was asked to pick between the two in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, he replied: “For me, Messi is the best in history. Maradona was great. but with Leo, I have something special.”
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Scaloni enjoys a strong following in Spain as he spent the bulk of his playing career with Deportivo de La Coruna. La Roja flopped in Qatar, crashing out to Morocco in the round of 16, with Luis Enrique subsequently replaced by Luis de la Fuente at the helm.
However, the 61-year-old has been criticised for his lack of coaching experience at the top level, and Scaloni has admitted he would be open to filling the same post at some point in the future. “Why wouldn’t I train Spain? I feel part of this country,” he said.
Scaloni’s contract, which officially expired at the end of December, is set to be extended following Argentina’s World Cup victory. Meanwhile, Messi is set to return to club action with PSG on Thursday in an all-star friendly against Riyadh XI, led by his old foe Cristiano Ronaldo.