This is an unexpected statement that pleases Madrid fans, especially Cristiano Ronaldo’s supporters. While Lionel Messi is considered an untouchable god, former Argentine national team goalkeeper and Boca Juniors legend, Hugo Orlando Gatti, has surprised everyone with scathing criticism.
As always, there’s an exception to the rule. As football enthusiasts gear up for the new year to experience fresh emotions, Hugo Gatti has made an unanticipated remark. A former Argentine national team goalkeeper (1966-1977, 18 caps), the 80-year-old did not hold back his words about Lionel Messi.
While most Argentinians, or at least the majority, bow down before the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, the former goalkeeper of legendary club Boca Juniors (417 appearances between 1976 and 1988) didn’t shy away from describing La Pulga as just an average player who doesn’t deserve more praise than Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Cristiano, though limited, is a phenomenon, better than Messi”
In an interview with the local newspaper La Nación, Hugo Gatti expressed that Cristiano Ronaldo is more of a phenomenon than his compatriot. “Cristiano, though limited, is a phenomenon. But limited, he is better than Messi. And he is limited because he doesn’t have Messi’s natural abilities. He played for the best teams in the world. It’s braver to play there. Everyone plays there. They chase you down, they ‘kill’ you. Where has Messi played? At Barça and in the Argentine national team. Messi didn’t try to play for other teams, in other countries,” the 80-year-old declared.
Perhaps with a less sharp memory than in his youth, the octogenarian seemed to forget that after Barcelona, Lionel Messi played two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to MLS, where he now plays for Inter Miami. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to belittle the American league, saying, “He plays country football in the United States,” Gatti added.
“Messi plays easy football”
Far from stopping there, the former goalkeeper, who claims not to hate La Pulga, stated that Diego Maradona remains, in his view, the best. “I don’t hate Messi, but he plays easy football. I saw him in a Barcelona team where everything was in his favour, where no one dared tackle him, where a great team played for him,” he continued in the Argentine newspaper La Nación. “Diego was knocked down, he fell, and he got back up. If you touch Messi, he doesn’t move,” he ranted before pointing out that during the World Cup in Qatar, Messi’s opponents didn’t even dare tackle him.
This is a completely unexpected statement from a country where tango and grit are integral to football culture. In any case, Gatti’s comments have delighted Cristiano Ronaldo’s supporters, who are reacting in droves on social media.
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