What’s the story?
Argentine football club Estudiantes de La Plata goalkeeper Mariano Andujar has revealed he will not take any criticism against Barcelona star Lionel Messi. He has explained what will happen when someone aims a dig at his compatriot or says something negative about the Argentine international.
"If someone criticises Messi or one of my team-mates, the conversation ends there with me. [He] is a leader on and off the pitch. He does everything well. Even when he gets angry he gets angry well!" Andujar said as quoted by Catalan publication Sport.
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"I have to do things well, so they [Argentina] call me up in March. Romero is at an important club and when he goes to the national team he responds well."
In case you didn’t know...
Andujar is an experienced goalkeeper and had spent several years in Europe, particularly in Italy. He started with a loan spell at Palmero in the 2005-06 season where he went on to make 11 appearances for the Sicily-based club.
In addition to this, he spent five years at Catania, who are currently plying their trade in the Lega Pro, which is the third division of Italian football. During his time at Catania, he made his first appearance for the national side.
For the Albiceleste, Andujar has been the second choice goalkeeper behind Manchester United stopper Sergio Romero. He was also included in the Argentina squad for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The 33-year-old is now looking to become the first choice keeper for the South American nation, something the player himself has admitted.
The heart of the matter
Messi is a key player for both Barcelona and Argentina. His impressive display on the pitch has seen him bag the Ballon d’Or on five occasions, which is the current record. He has had a career that has been laden with silverware with the La Liga giants and has won almost all possible club competitions with Barcelona. However, he is yet to win anything with his national side.
With him being one of the most popular footballers ever, any public criticism of the star forward could result in collateral damage. This is something former Barcelona director Pere Gratacos learnt the hard way after he was shown the exit door at the Camp Nou following his negative comments regarding Messi and his future at the Catalan club.
Sportskeeda’s take
Andular’s comment shows the unity within the Argentine side. Even though they have come under heavy criticism for failing to win their last three major competitions even after reaching the finals in all three.
In Andujar, Messi seems to have another fan who will not take any criticism towards the star forward. He already enjoys a cult status in his country and it is really no surprise that he has another player within the squad who looks up to him.
