Enough is enough. Lionel Messi has finally spoken about the abuse and criticism he's faced when playing for Argentina's National Team, and he did so by labeling his critics as "liars".
Speaking in an interview with Argentine radio station Club Octubre , "La Pulga" admits being baffled by the way people speak about him as an international, while he also urged people not to believe everything they read in the papers.
"It's been frequent now, to read all these lies about me. They hit me hard when I'm not around. I'm not surprised by it, but it really gets to me, because it's a fabrication. I'm mad because people believe those things to be true. I've been battling with a groin injury since December and I haven't trained properly, that's why I've missed some games," Messi said.
The footballer, who recently returned to the national team, shared an insight on how this situation has taken a toll on his family.
"My kid asks me: 'Why do they kill you when you play for Argentina'? Our relatives are the ones who suffer the most. I have friends and brothers that suffer for the lies they publish. Anyone can come up with a story and people buy it. And then, they go out there and call me an a****le," Messi added.
The all-time top scorer for La Albiceleste stated that there were some people in his inner circle who wanted him to quit playing for the South American team, but his desire to win brought him back.
"I want to win something with La Albiceleste. I'm always there to play the big tournaments. Lots of people told me not to come back, but I did. Our group doesn't want to trick you, we're not out there saying that we love the team out of the blue, just like others did before us. We are pros! If I was not a pro, I would have never returned. No one forces me to make a choice on that matter," Messi concluded.
The footballer is expected to lead Argentina in their 2019 Copa América run. La Albiceleste has not won any major tournament since 1993, and due to his age, this could be the last chance Messi gets to win big with the South American team.
