Lionel Messi accused Copa America officials of favouring hosts Brazil after Argentina’s hopes were ended in Belo Horizonte.
Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino handed the Selecao a place in Sunday’s final with a 2-0 win over their most bitter rivals in Wednesday night’s semi-final.
Argentina had chances themselves, with Messi and Sergio Aguero both striking the woodwork, and were arguably the better side throughout the 90 minutes.
However, it was the officials who drew the ire of Messi after the game with the Barcelona superstar scathing in his assessment of referee Roddy Zambrano and the Video Assistant Referee.
Messi had approached the officiating team at full-time for a frank exchange of views.
Messi was furious at a decision not to award Aguero a penalty after he appeared to be cleaned out when running through on goal shortly before Firmino doubled the hosts’ advantage.
The challenge on Aguero wasn’t even looked at by VAR, something which – given the use of VAR at the tournament – left Messi enraged.
He fumed: “They were not better than us. They found the net early and the second goal came from a penalty [to Aguero] they didn’t award,” Messi told reporters.
“They [the officials] had called a lot of bulls**t, but they didn’t even check the VAR, that’s unbelievable.
“That happened all over the game. At the first glance of contact, they ruled in their [Brazil’s] favour and this kind of bulls**t distracted us from the game.”
Tag: Argentina
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Messi fumes after Copa America defeat to Brazil
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Messi relieved as Argentina see off Qatar for Copa America Q/finals
Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero scored as Argentina cleared the Qatari obstacle to qualify for the Copa America quarter-finals.
Argentina captained by Lionel Messi came second in Group B with four points, behind Colombia that lashed them 3-0 in the first game of the tournament.
Colombia topped the group with nine points, winning all their three matches against Argentina, Paraguay and Qatar.
Martinez scored in the 4th minute and Sergio Aguero’s late second gave Argentina a 2-0 win over Qatar.
Already-qualified Colombia beat Paraguay 1-0 in the other Group B match to secure a place in the last eight for both Peru, who finished third in Group A, and Uruguay, currently second in Group C.
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Gonzalo Higuain retires from international football
Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain has announced his retirement from international football with Argentina.
Higuain, 31, won 75 caps for his country, scoring 31 goals, but has not featured since the 2018 World Cup.
He joined Chelsea on loan from Juventus in January.
“I’ve made the decision because I want to enjoy my family, I want to spend time with my daughter and at the same time I feel that I gave my country everything I could,” Higuain said.
“I’m fully focused on my commitment to Chelsea.
“The Premier League is amazing and I really want to enjoy it. It’s very competitive indeed.”
Higuain reached the finals of three major tournaments with Argentina – the 2014 World Cup and the Copa America in 2015 and 2016 – but has often been criticised for his performances in international football.
He missed an excellent chance in the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany and failed to convert an opportunity in normal time of the 2015 Copa America final loss against Chile before also missing in the penalty shootout.
“People remember the goals I missed and not the ones I scored. I’m sure everyone celebrated the goal against Belgium [the winner in the 2014 World Cup quarter-final],” he told Fox Sports.
“When you criticise someone maliciously it hurts everyone. I saw how much my family suffered, but I gave everything for the national team.
“It’s one thing to say that the national team did not achieve our objectives, but when people talk about failure it’s very hard.”
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Lionel Messi returns to Argentina’s national team
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been named in the Argentina squad for the first time since the 2018 World Cup.
Messi, 31, has missed six international friendlies following defeat by eventual winners France in the last 16 in Russia in June.
He is part of a 31-man squad for friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco this month.
Paris St-Germain midfielder Angel di Maria, 31, has also been recalled for the first time since the World Cup.
There are four Premier League players in manager Lionel Scaloni’s squad – Manchester City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, Tottenham defender Juan Foyth, Watford midfielder Roberto Pereyra and West Ham playmaker Manuel Lanzini.
However, Spurs winger Erik Lamela and goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga have both been dropped.
Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has also been left out, having not played since 9 February because of an ongoing dispute with the Serie A club.
Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea’s Gonzalo Higuain also remain absent, having last played for Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.
Argentina captain Messi, his country’s record scorer with 65 goals in 128 games, initially retired from international duty after Copa America final defeat by Chile in June 2016 before reversing his decision less that two months later.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing, having lost three Copa America finals and been beaten by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
Argentina face Venezuela in Madrid at 01:00 GMT on 23 March before playing Morocco in Tangier on 26 March.
The 2019 Copa America runs from 14 June to 7 July in Brazil, with Argentina drawn in Group B alongside Colombia, Paraguay and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
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Emiliano Sala: Body to be flown to Argentina for vigil
The body of footballer Emiliano Sala is to be flown back to his hometown in Argentina where a vigil is planned, BBC reports
Sala, 28, was travelling to Cardiff in a plane piloted by David Ibbotson, which went missing over the English Channel on 21 January.
His body was recovered from the plane wreck last week but Mr Ibbotson’s body has still not been found.
Sala was flying to join his new side Cardiff City from French club Nantes when the plane went missing.
Julio Muller, mayor of Sala’s hometown of Progreso, said the footballer’s family had arrived for the service.
Mr Muller said Sala’s body would arrive in the late afternoon on Friday and be taken to the gymnasium next to his youth club’s headquarters, where a vigil was scheduled.
His boyhood club San Martin de Progreso posted an emotional tribute on Facebook, saying: “We are waiting for you…like the first day you left but this time to stay with us forever.
“You went and you are an example for everyone. Eternally in our hearts.”
Authorities formally identified Sala’s body last week, with his family saying they could “now begin to mourn our son and our brother.”
Sala died of “head and trunk injuries,” an inquest heard on Monday.
His former teammates gave him a rousing send off on Sunday, playing a French league match in a special black kit with each player wearing Sala’s name on the back of their jersey.
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Diego Maradona leaves hospital after internal bleeding
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has been released from hospital after being admitted with internal bleeding in his stomach, his daughter said.
The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his home country when doctors discovered the problem.
However, his family said the diagnosis was not serious.
“For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” his daughter Dalma said. “He is going home soon.”
Reuters news agency later reported Maradona had left the hospital.
Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, is coach of Mexican second division side Dorados de Sinaloa.
He was taken ill during Argentina’s victory over Nigeria at last year’s World Cup in Russia but later said he was “fine”.
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Messi goes to the toilet too much to be a leader – Maradona
Argentina football legend, Diego Maradona has said Lionel Messi is not a good leader, accusing the fellow countryman of “going to the bathroom 20 times before a game”.
The Barcelona talisman has been handed the captain’s armband by his country, but that role has been questioned by Maradona.
At 31 years of age and having spent more than a decade as an elite performer in the global game, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is accustomed to shouldering pressure and expectation.
He has, however, struggled with the burden of captaincy at times , despite having taken the armband for club and country in recent years.
Maradona believes Messi is the wrong choice for Argentina as, while he is unquestionably their best player, he lacks the personal skills required to inspire those around him.
The 1986 World Cup winner, who saw the Albiceleste struggle at Russia 2018 over the summer, told La Ultima Palabra Mexico : “Messi’s a great player, but he’s not a leader.
“Before talking to the coach and players, he’ll play on the PlayStation. Then, on the field, he wants to be the leader. He’s the best in the world with Cristiano [Ronaldo].
“For me, it’s difficult to say it but it’s useless to make a leader out of a man who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game.
“There’s no two ways about it. Let’s stop making a God out of Messi. Messi is just another player for Argentina.”
Messi has not figured for his country since suffering a last-16 exit in his latest showing on a World Cup stage.
He has ruled himself out of contention, with interim coach Lionel Scaloni being forced to call upon attacking alternatives.
Argentina remain hopeful that an all-time great can be brought back into the fold , but Maradona believes less needs to be asked of him before a recall can be considered.
He added: “I wouldn’t call him up right now, but never say never. We have to take the pressure off him. -
Messi should stop playing for Argentina – Maradona
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has told Lionel Messi to retire from international football for good.
Messi was heavily criticised in his homeland after Argentina’s round of 16 exit – at the hands of eventual winners France – at this summer’s World Cup.
The Barcelona star has since not featured for the Albiceleste, missing the friendlies with Guatemala and Colombia in September.
And now Maradona has advised the 31-year-old to just walk away for good, leaving the mess that the national side has become behind.
“What would I tell Messi? To not come back any more. To retire,” Maradona told Clarin.
“The under-15s lose and it’s Messi’s fault. The fixture in Argentina puts Racing against Boca and Messi is to blame. It’s always his fault. Stop breaking my balls.
“I would tell him: “Don’t go anymore, man”. Let’s see if they can handle that. Let’s see if they’re really big men.
“I would have liked to see him tell us all to f*** off because he’s not to blame for us not being world champions.”
Messi will miss the upcoming fixtures with Iraq and Brazil also, but new coach Lionel Scaloni continues to keep the No.10 shirt free. -
Plane carrying IMF MD makes emergency landing in Argentina – Reports
An American Airlines plane with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde on board made an emergency landing in the Argentine airport on Sunday due to malfunction, local media reported.
According to the Clarin newspaper, the plane took off for the U. S. at 8.55 p.m. local time (23.55 GMT) from Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza airport.
According to the newspaper’s source, the aircraft experienced pressurization system malfunction, yet later it became known that it was fuel leak that forced the plane to return to the Argentine airport for an emergency landing.
Christine Lagarde was in Argentina over the weekend for the G20 meeting of finance ministers.
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Javier Mascherano retires after Argentina World Cup exit
Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has retired from international duty following their World Cup exit.
The 34-year-old made 145 appearances for Argentina, including their dramatic 4-3 defeat by France in the last 16 on Saturday.
Mascherano played every minute of Argentina’s games at this year’s World Cup – his fourth successive tournament.
He told DeportTV: “Personally, for me now it’s over. From now on I’m just one more Argentina fan.”
The double Olympic champion made his senior debut in 2003 and began his career at Argentine club River Plate.
He played for West Ham from 2006 to 2007, leaving to join Liverpool where he featured in the 2007 Champions League final defeat by AC Milan.
Mascherano played for Barcelona from 2010 to this January, winning the Champions League twice and being part of squads that won La Liga on five occasions.
He is currently with Chinese club Hebei China Fortune.
BBC