La Liga defending champions Barcelona has hit back at Diego Maradona for questioning Lionel Messi's leadership skills. In a scathing attack, the Argentinian legend said his nations current skipper - who has withdrawn his service for the Albiceleste indefinitely - "goes to the toilet 10 times before a match."
Interpreted as a dig aimed at Messi's nerves before games, the Barcelona skipper's family has since come out with a few words for Maradona. Maxi Biancucchi, the cousin of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and a professional footballer for Paraguayan second division side Rubio Nu, labeled Maradona as "ignorant".
"It's ignorant to discredit Leo," he tweeted.
"It's sad to see how someone who boasts of being a leader, can talk so badly about a player who's currently the best we've got and will probably be so for a long time yet.
"And he's done it at a time when he should be helping to rebuild if he loves the national side as he says he does."
In a recent development, Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla has revealed that the 1986 World Cup winner will phone Lionel Messi to explain what his words meant on "La Última Palabra" – a TV show aired by Fox Sports México.
On Tuesday, Barcelona board spokesman Josep Vives weighed in on the matter by jumping to the defense of the club's captain.
"There are some comments that qualify themselves," Vives told Marca.
"We have a person who qualifies himself to himself from silence and discretion.
"He is the best player of all time without any doubt and he does his talking on the pitch," he concluded.
