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I have no problems with Maradona, says Messi

ROME: Argentina striker Lionel Messi has insisted he can work with new national coach Diego Maradona, despite his recent criticisms of the Barcelona
star, Italian media reported Wednesday.

Messi told sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport he had "no problems" with Tuesday's news that Maradona had been appointed coach, adding: "It's great, I admire him for what he has given Argentinian football." Maradona openly criticised Messi in September, saying the 21-year-old was selfish and arrogant. "Sometimes Messi plays for Messi. He feels so superior that he forgets his team-mates. It's Deportivo Messi (a one-man team). If he played with (Sergio) Aguero or (Juan Roman) Riquelme it would be better for him." But Messi insisted that Maradona's attack was now in the past and forgotten about. "These were things said in the moment. I know that Diego appreciates me," Messi told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Maradona, who will be 48 on Thursday, has no top level coaching experience. But the often controversial figure has stressed that he wants to return the team to the highs of the 1986 World Cup when, as a player, he inspired Argentina almost single-handedly to the title. Alfio Basile resigned from the post a fortnight ago after a World Cup qualifying defeat to Chile left them in third place after 10 matches, seven points adrift of leaders Paraguay. Maradona won crucial support last week when Noray Nakis, the president of the Argentina Football Association(AFA) selection commission, threw his weight behind his candidature. He faced competition for the job from Carlos Bianchi, the former coach of Boca Juniors, whom he led to four national league titles, San Lorenzo coach Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista who took the Under-23 squad to Olympic gold in Beijing in August.

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