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Messi cannot explain poor Argentina form
Source: Agencies |
December 23, 2009, Wednesday
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ARGENTINA forward Lionel Messi said on Monday he could not explain the difference between his excellent form for his club Barcelona and his indifferent performances for his country.
Messi has had an outstanding year with the Catalan club, helping to win the Spanish championship, the Champions League, Copa del Rey and Club World championship.
But he has struggled for Diego Maradona's Argentina, which crawled into the World Cup with a 1-0 win away to Uruguay in the last of its 18-match campaign.
"I don't know," Messi told reporters before FIFA's World Player of the Year award ceremony.
"I try to do the same as I do for Barcelona. But in the World Cup the qualifiers are complicated, sometimes it's difficult to play and it was a big effort for us to qualify.
"I believe the World Cup could be completely different for us, I believe it could be better for me and Argentina."
Messi is frequently upset by suggestions that he saves his best for his club. "It bothers me a lot," he said. "I'm Argentine and I have a feeling for the shirt. I give everything for the Argentina team."
Like Messi, former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has not been able to enjoy the same sort of success with Portugal as he has at the club level. Portugal needed a playoff win over Bosnia to qualify for South Africa.
The Real Madrid player said he believed Portugal could spring an upset and drew inspiration from Greece's 2004 European championship win, when it beat Ronaldo's Portugal in the final.
"I have never won anything important for the national team but it's important for me," he said. "Portugal has a chance, nobody spoke about Greece in 2004 and it won the tournament. I'm looking forward to a great World Cup, I'm really focused and happy to be there."
Messi meanwhile became the first Argentine to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Monday. The 22-year-old forward also landed the European Footballer of the Year prize earlier this month.
"This finishes a magnificent year for Barcelona, my teammates and for me," Messi said after receiving the trophy from UEFA president and former France international Michel Platini.
The Argentine, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, claimed 1,073 points in a poll of 147 national team coaches and captains. Ronaldo, last year's winner, was a distant second with 352 points followed by Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi (196).
Messi was leading scorer in the 2008-09 Champions League, hitting nine goals including one in the 2-0 final win over Manchester United. He also notched the extra-time winner in the 2-1 Club World Cup final victory over Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The women's award went to Brazil's Marta for the fourth year in a row. The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.
The late England player and manager Bobby Robson received FIFA's fair play award, while the presidential award for contributions to football and society went to Jordan's Queen Rania.
FIFA also announced its first World XI men's team which included six players from the Spanish league and five from the Premier League.
Messi has had an outstanding year with the Catalan club, helping to win the Spanish championship, the Champions League, Copa del Rey and Club World championship.
But he has struggled for Diego Maradona's Argentina, which crawled into the World Cup with a 1-0 win away to Uruguay in the last of its 18-match campaign.
"I don't know," Messi told reporters before FIFA's World Player of the Year award ceremony.
"I try to do the same as I do for Barcelona. But in the World Cup the qualifiers are complicated, sometimes it's difficult to play and it was a big effort for us to qualify.
"I believe the World Cup could be completely different for us, I believe it could be better for me and Argentina."
Messi is frequently upset by suggestions that he saves his best for his club. "It bothers me a lot," he said. "I'm Argentine and I have a feeling for the shirt. I give everything for the Argentina team."
Like Messi, former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has not been able to enjoy the same sort of success with Portugal as he has at the club level. Portugal needed a playoff win over Bosnia to qualify for South Africa.
The Real Madrid player said he believed Portugal could spring an upset and drew inspiration from Greece's 2004 European championship win, when it beat Ronaldo's Portugal in the final.
"I have never won anything important for the national team but it's important for me," he said. "Portugal has a chance, nobody spoke about Greece in 2004 and it won the tournament. I'm looking forward to a great World Cup, I'm really focused and happy to be there."
Messi meanwhile became the first Argentine to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Monday. The 22-year-old forward also landed the European Footballer of the Year prize earlier this month.
"This finishes a magnificent year for Barcelona, my teammates and for me," Messi said after receiving the trophy from UEFA president and former France international Michel Platini.
The Argentine, who joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, claimed 1,073 points in a poll of 147 national team coaches and captains. Ronaldo, last year's winner, was a distant second with 352 points followed by Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi (196).
Messi was leading scorer in the 2008-09 Champions League, hitting nine goals including one in the 2-0 final win over Manchester United. He also notched the extra-time winner in the 2-1 Club World Cup final victory over Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The women's award went to Brazil's Marta for the fourth year in a row. The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.
The late England player and manager Bobby Robson received FIFA's fair play award, while the presidential award for contributions to football and society went to Jordan's Queen Rania.
FIFA also announced its first World XI men's team which included six players from the Spanish league and five from the Premier League.
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