Insigne Doesn't Want To Compare Messi With Maradona
JAKARTA - Lorenzo Insigne is not interested in comparing Lionel Messi with Diego Maradona. Ahead of Napoli's match with Barcelona in the Champions League, the Napoli striker said Maradona was very special to the citizens of Naples.
Messi and Barcelona travel to the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona was the team mascot in the 1980s and 90s. The two teams will meet in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, February 25 evening.
Like Maradona, Messi is considered the best player of all time. But Insigne chose not to compare the two Argentine players.
"I did an interview and I said Messi is the best player in the world," he told a press conference, as reported by Soccerway.
"However, I don't want to compare him to Maradona, who is everything for us. I don't want to compare him.
"Maradona is divine for the people of Naples, with all due respect to the best Messi at the moment."
Meanwhile Barca, despite experiencing a number of problems off the pitch, are top of La Liga and will be out into the last 16 as favorites.
The San Paolo making football history 💙🏟Maradona 🤝 Messi 🇦🇷 # ForzaNapoliSempre @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/Q3Tseb6djK
- Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 23, 2020
But Insigne says Napoli just need to focus on themselves going into the first leg.
"I don't know what problems Barcelona have. I read things like everyone else does," he said.
Insigne continued, after the four goals scored by Messi against Eibar in La Liga last week, he thinks Barca do not have any problems.
"We don't have to think about them. We have to think about ourselves. They have to play a great game from start to finish. That's all," concluded Insigne.