<p class="title">Lionel Messi "is not a leader," said Diego Maradona of the current Argentina talisman in an interview in Mexico.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's useless to try and make a leader out of someone who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game," Maradona said on Fox Sports.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Before speaking to the coach and players he will be on the PlayStation. Then, on the field, he wants to be the leader," Maradona said as he answered questions in a stumbling voice, sometimes seeming to contradict himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He is the best in the world along with Cristiano (Ronaldo)," Maradona said. "But he's not a leader."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maradona, who led Argentina to victory in 1986, said Messi, who was again unable to emulate that feat in Russia this summer was expected to be "the saviour of the fatherland."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Let's stop making a god out of Messi. Messi is Messi for Barcelona, but playing in an Argentina shirt he is another Messi."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maradona, who is in Mexico coaching second-division Sinaloa, said that if he was Argentina coach he would "not call on Messi" before adding "never say never."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"You have to take the leadership away for him to be the Messi we want him to be," Maradona said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Messi, who is 31, has not played for Argentina in three low-key friendlies since a 4-3 loss to eventual champions France in the first knock-out round at the World Cup, but has not officially retired from the national team.</p>
<p class="title">Lionel Messi "is not a leader," said Diego Maradona of the current Argentina talisman in an interview in Mexico.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's useless to try and make a leader out of someone who goes to the bathroom 20 times before a game," Maradona said on Fox Sports.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Before speaking to the coach and players he will be on the PlayStation. Then, on the field, he wants to be the leader," Maradona said as he answered questions in a stumbling voice, sometimes seeming to contradict himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He is the best in the world along with Cristiano (Ronaldo)," Maradona said. "But he's not a leader."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maradona, who led Argentina to victory in 1986, said Messi, who was again unable to emulate that feat in Russia this summer was expected to be "the saviour of the fatherland."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Let's stop making a god out of Messi. Messi is Messi for Barcelona, but playing in an Argentina shirt he is another Messi."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maradona, who is in Mexico coaching second-division Sinaloa, said that if he was Argentina coach he would "not call on Messi" before adding "never say never."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"You have to take the leadership away for him to be the Messi we want him to be," Maradona said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Messi, who is 31, has not played for Argentina in three low-key friendlies since a 4-3 loss to eventual champions France in the first knock-out round at the World Cup, but has not officially retired from the national team.</p>