Martino backs Messi

Chicago (Illinois), June 10: Argenti coach Gerardo Martino on Friday contradicted Argentine legend Diego Marado saying that their current poster boy Lionel Messi is a great leader on the pitch.

“He’s (Messi) a really good person, but he has no persolity. He lacks (the) character to be a leader,” Marado had said in Paris on Thursday.

When asked to comment on the statement made by Marado, Martino said he had nothing to add on this because he fully believes in Messi’s abilities.

“I don’t have anything to say,” Martino was quoted as saying by goal.com on Friday.

The Argenti coach however, went on to say that Messi’s leadership style was very different from someone like team-mate Javier Mascherano.

“Mascherano’s impact as a leader is more important inside the squad, and Messi’s leadership is more important in the pitch,” said Martino. “Teams always have tural leaders on the pitch and tural leaders in footballing terms.” IANS