I’d have stopped playing for Argentina: Tata Martino says Lionel Messi retirement talks understandable

Argentina boss Tata Martino has stepped forward to back Lionel Messi after the Barca star was heavily criticised by Argentinian fans for his world competition performances. Martino, who has been handling Aregntina’s national football team for a year, said that if he were Messi, he would have quit Argentina a long ago.

Messi has been well-admired as a Barcelona football star, but the Argentinian’s image in his homeland is the opposite of what he has developed at Camp Nou. Martino defended Messi from pundits and supporters, saying that those who criticise the Barca forward do not deserve to analyse football. The 52-year-old coach also added that Messi has every right to be frustrated with the way he is treated by his countrymen.

"Talk of him considering retiring from the national team is frustrating but understandable; if I was Messi, I'd have stopped playing for Argentina a long time ago,” Martino said, reports Goal.

The Argentinians have criticised Messi all his career, suggesting that the 28-year-old footballer plays better for Barcelona than Argentina, and blaming him for the nation’s struggles to win a major title in recent years. The fans’ hatred towards Messi’s efforts escalated this summer after Argentina bowed down to Chile during the Copa America final.

Meanwhile, despite talks of retirement from international football, Messi was still included in Martino’s squad for a match against Mexico in September. According to the Daily Mail, Martino confirmed that Messi has not made himself unavailable for the Mexico friendly next month, adding that no one could imagine Argentina without Messi.

“As an Argentine, I would be hugely disappointed because nobody can imagine not having the best player in the world available for selection,” Martino said.

Martino had mentored Messi at Barcelona in 2013-2014 before returning to Argentina to replace Alejandro Sabella as manager for the national side. Messi, on the other hand, has scored 46 goals in his 103 appearances for Albiceleste.

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