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La Liga: Barcelona blew a two point lead to draw with Deportivo la Coruna.
Goal.
LIONEL Messi has launched a stunning attack on the critics that have annoyed him throughout his career.
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner as the best player in the world has unleashed a verbal barrage at the criticism he receives predominantly from within his homeland — Argentina.
The 28-year-old Barcelona superstar is regarded by many as the best player of his generation, but has never truly been embraced by his home country in the same way that football legend Diego Maradona was during his career.
Argentina were runners-up at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where they lost to Germany 1-0 in the final.
They also finished runners-up at the Copa America earlier this year after losing the final to Chile on penalties.
Messi has previously been criticised for failing to play with his whole heart when on international duty with Argentina, despite being named player of the tournament at the World Cup.
Now, he appears to have had enough.
In an extraordinary interview with tycsports.com, Messi told his critics to “go f*** yourselves”.
The best player in the world.Source:Getty Images
“I get annoyed when they tell us ‘put in more effort, you don’t feel the shirt’,” he said in Spanish.
“We were lucky enough to get to the final of the World Cup and the Copa America and it’s as though we didn’t do anything.
“We got to two finals, for f***’s sake
“We didn’t win, what can you do, but we got to the final, we didn’t lose in the round of 16.
“I still hear criticism from the national team. I say ‘go f*** yourself’. We got to the final and didn’t lose in the quarters.
“I get bothered by the Argentines that criticise my running or my lack of balls.”
Messi has also been criticised for not singing the Argentina national anthem at the start of international fixtures.
He said he has not forgotten the first time he received negative attention for not singing the Himno Nacional Argentino.
“Ever since they criticise me for not singing the anthem, I stopped singing it on purpose,” he said.
“The anthem thing is ridiculous. I never cared about it. Ever since they criticised me, I stopped singing it.
“I get annoyed by the people who attack you without thinking. I won’t sing the national anthem on purpose. I don’t need to sing it to feel it.
He’d held onto those words for some time.Source:Getty Images
“It reaches me, every person feels it in their own way. The [national Argentinian rugby team] Pumas cry, they feel it differently and that’s OK.”
Incredibly Messi has also been raked over the coals in Argentina for being lazy in the national team.
“Football is not just about effort. We had bad times in the national team for what we experienced,” he said.
“We lost the final of the World Cup against Germany who have great players and we had great chances to win it. With Chile it was the same and we lost on penalties.
“There is no need to run all the time. Everyone knows what they need to do and I wait for my moment.”
Messi said he cares about football even less than he did three years ago before the birth of his son Thiago.
“Since my son Thiago was born I have changed,” he said.
“I understand that life is not just football.
“Several years ago I stopped caring about individual awards.”
Messi has been nominated to win the title of best player in the world for a fifth time when the 2015 Ballon d’Or award is handed out in Zurich on January 11.