Maradona: Messi an exceptional player

Maradona: Messi should take every free kick for Barcelona

13-Feb-2013 12:15:00 AM

The former Argentina international believes the Barcelona man is a fantastic player who dictates the way his team play, and also spoke of Roman Riquelme's move back to Boca Juniors

Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi is an exceptional player who should be taking every free kick for Barcelona.

Messi has played 35 times this season for his club, scoring 46 goals and his former national team coach says he dictates the way the Blaugrana play.

"I don't like it when at Barcelona they don't let Messi take every free kick. He should take them all," he told Fox Sports Latin America.

"Each game that passes he invents something new, and it's fantastic. We are watching an exceptional player.

"I think that Messi makes Barcelona play the way he wants. I think that the last time Xavi was injured; he played deeper and wreaked havoc. You don't have to tell him anything."

The World Cup winner also revealed that Messi took defeat in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa extremely hard.

"When we lost to Germany in the last World Cup, we went to the dressing room and the only one you could hear sobbing and crying was Messi. He was hurt. He was sad. I'll never forget that," he continued.

"I told him jokingly that he was full again (Riquelme said he was empty when he left), because he has to play, he has to enjoy himself. Playing for Boca is the best thing in the world."

Maradona also spoke about Roman Riquelme, who has recently rejoined Boca Juniors.

He added: “I believe that the best decision Riquelme could have made is to feel the joy of being with his team-mates again and of course he is returning to a Boca that has to win.

"He is fully prepared to win everything, so I wish him the best."