Football: Argentine heads defend Messi

BUENOS AIRES: The head of Argentina’s Football Association (AFA), Julio Grondona, praised striker Lionel Messi, but criticised his squad-mates in the wake of their disappointing opening Copa America draw with Bolivia. Messi has often been criticised in his homeland for failing to show his superlative Barcelona form in the national side and the media even question his loyalty to a country which he left for Catalonia as a young teen. “Messi always plays well, never badly - which is what the others around him were doing,” said Grondona.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2011.