Barcelona/ Argentina star player Lionel Messi last night together with teammates Luis Suarez, Neymar and Gerard Pique snubbed the FIFA Best Awards ceremony in Zurich, with his club announcing hours before the ceremony that the players couldn't come because the team had to prepare for an 'important' second leg game against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
But
football legends Diego Maradona, who once coached Messi with Argentina,
and Roberto Carlos, former Real Madrid and Brazil player, and Roberto
Salgado slammed Messi for snubbing the awards, saying the Barcelona man
and his teammates should have shown more respect to FIFA.
Roberto
Carlos, said to reporters: "I am sad and disappointed that Leo and his
teammates have not come. They have many great footballers and all of us
would have liked to see them attend.
"We all
wanted to see Messi, the other big players and the coach of Barcelona
here. It's a FIFA prize. FIFA is the highest authority in football. So,
everyone should be here."
Diego
Maradona said: "I'm disappointed with Messi, from watching television at
home you cannot fight anything or anyone -- here you can fight," he
told TVE.
"I do not know why Barcelona did not
come to such an important event. They have priorities and the priority
was for Leo not to come. I think coming here [Zurich] they could fight
more than they would in Barcelona."
Roberto
Carlos said Ronaldo has previously appeared at award ceremonies even
when he knew he'll lose, urging Messi to learn from Ronaldo.
"Cristiano
has learned the importance of this and I think Leo also needs to learn
that he must be here. This has to change," he said.
"Real
Madrid also have a match this week but they are well represented in
Zurich. The obligations to win for both clubs are the same."
Former
Madrid right-back Salgado said:"Real Madrid are currently the best team
in the world so maybe this has affected the decision of the Barcelona
players," Salgado said. "Barcelona are wrong for not sending their best
players.
"I know that the club has had issues
with FIFA in the past but Barcelona needs to understand that FIFA is
changing. This is not how you expect one of the world's biggest clubs to
behave."
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