Read what Maradona said about Messi's future

– Lionel Messi previously quitted international football

– Maradona urged the Barcelona star to stay with Argentina

– The legendary player speaks about Messi’s future again

Diego Maradona states that Argentina star Lionel Messi will not return to the national football team.

According to the veteran, the striker quit the team due to the “weak leadership” of the Argentine Football Federation.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has called it quits with international football after Argentina’s Copa America 2016 final defeat.

Recall that La Roja held Lionel Messi’s Argentina to a goalless draw for 120 minutes and after extra-time, penalties decided the game with Lucas Biglia and Lionel Messi missing for Argentina.

After the defeat, a frustrated Barcelona star said:  “The national team is over for me. That’s four finals (lost,) it’s not for me. It’s a made decision, I think. I feel a great sadness right now that this is happening again. I missed my penalty, which was super important. That’s it”

However, Argentine legend Maradona stated: “Messi has to stay in the national team. He will go to Russia in form to be world champion. He has to rely more on boys who can help take the team forward and less on those who say they have to go.”

He added: “Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won’t see what a disaster Argentine football has become.”

Maradona stressed: “I am very sorry and very angry with what is happening to Argentine football. “We hit bottom, we reached the bottom.”

And now Maradona states that Messi will not reverse Argentina retirement:“I think Messi is going to say no to Bauza. This is my thinking. Maybe I’m wrong”.

Messi and Maradona
He noted: “We are very bad. We run the risk of not going to Qatar,” the 1986 World Cup winning captain said. “I’ve never seen such weak leadership.”

“What happened with Messi exposes what’s been going on for a lifetime.  How is it that the families of the [AFA] leaders are more comfortable than the players?” the former Argentinian coach concluded.