Argentina legend Diego Maradona has come out with an outrageous claim: that Lionel Messi faked his short retirement from international football.
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Messi announced his decision to quit the Albiceleste after the team lost the 2016 Copa America final – his fourth final defeat with Argentina – on 27 June, but announced his comeback just one and a half months later, on 12 August.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup champion has suggested that Messi "set up" his retirement in order to distract supporters from his national team's recent history of losing finals.
"I do not know if Messi's retirement was a set-up to help us forget about the fact that we lost three finals in a row," Maradona told Radio La Red.
"The lad first said he was going to give up, and then took a step back and managed to change his mind in just a matter of weeks."
Argentina have lost seven consecutive finals at major international tournaments – the 2014 World Cup finals, the 2004, 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas, as well as the 1995 and 2005 Confederations Cups – since last their last trophy.
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New Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza, who met with Messi before the player announced his retirement u-turn, has been tasked with ending that run of final defeats, and lifting the team's first trophy since the 1993 Copa America.
Do you think Messi's retirement was faked to avert criticism of the team? Have your say in the comments section below.
