Former Paraguay international Jose Luis Felix Chilavert has situated himself firmly on Lionel Messi's side in one of Argentinian football's hottest debates.For his form with the national team, Diego Maradona arguably a more widely adored figure than Messi in their home country of Argentina, but Chilavert isn't having any of it.
"Messi is a genius. The rest of us are on planet earth," Chilavert told TyC Sports. "When he needed help, everyone got behind Messi and Barcelona gave him the contract that he wanted, but the sacrifice Messi and his family made was what made him stronger. He's a leader.
"For many, leading is shouting, insulting, but others like Messi, who can be silent, do the talking in training and in the dressing room. In Argentina, he's given the cold shoulder because he hasn't won a World Cup and they compare him with Maradona. "But Maradona didn't even win one percent of what Messi has won and the excuse they give is that Messi played with Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta and all the rest. When Messi gets on the ball, he has five guys in front of him and he's still winning. Our society is very unfair with Messi.
"People give him a hard time but not the government, who are harming the country and robbing it with taxes. We're athletes. Messi is a leader and people have to understand that football doesn't solve what the government steals."