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'Maybe old age is affecting him' - Diego Maradona attacks Pele in wake of Lionel Messi comments
The war of words involving the two legends of the beautiful game continues to wage on, with the Argentine taking aim at his rival's advancing years and robotic demeanor
Jan 21, 2012 5:06:00 PM
By Livio Caferoglu
Getty
Al Wasl coach Diego Maradona has sarcastically claimed that old age is beginning to affect Pele's judgement, following recent comments made by the Brazilian on Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
The former Santos star sparked debate with his claims that the attacker will never reach his level of excellence, but speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the ex-Napoli forward laughed off the remarks, before proceeding to take aim at the 71-year-old.
"This is maybe due to old age affecting his thought processes," replied Maradona. "You can't blame the guy, he hasn't been doing anything for the past 20 years. I haven't even seen him in a supermarket. I don't know what he does."
He continued, "Usually, when you see him these days, it's only at award ceremonies next to the president of FIFA and looking like a doll that's being moved by remote control. His comments come as no surprise."
Maradona and Pele's latest dispute is the latest in a string of much-publicized personal attacks in the media, with the Argentine previously claiming his South American compatriot mixed up his prescription for opining that Neymar was a better footballer than Messi.
The former Santos star sparked debate with his claims that the attacker will never reach his level of excellence, but speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the ex-Napoli forward laughed off the remarks, before proceeding to take aim at the 71-year-old.
"This is maybe due to old age affecting his thought processes," replied Maradona. "You can't blame the guy, he hasn't been doing anything for the past 20 years. I haven't even seen him in a supermarket. I don't know what he does."
He continued, "Usually, when you see him these days, it's only at award ceremonies next to the president of FIFA and looking like a doll that's being moved by remote control. His comments come as no surprise."
Maradona and Pele's latest dispute is the latest in a string of much-publicized personal attacks in the media, with the Argentine previously claiming his South American compatriot mixed up his prescription for opining that Neymar was a better footballer than Messi.
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