Maradona lambastes Argentina footballers, calls them 'undeserving'

Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona has come down heavily on his country's national team's. The 1986 World Cup-winning captain said the current players of the Albiceleste squad are undeserving of wearing the blue and white shirt and dubbed the team's disastrous 3-1 loss to their Latin American rivals on Friday to a "horror" film.

Maradona, who is now the head coach of Mexican second-tier club Dorados, told reporters, "It hurts me because I feel Argentinian to the core but compared to past generations that had players like (Oscar) Ruggeri, (Gabriel) Batistuta, (Claudio) Caniggia... the current players don't deserve to wear the shirt."

"I prefer not to watch horror films but I don't know how the inept bunch who are in charge of Argentina thought they were going to beat Venezuela," added the 58-year-old, who also coached the Albiceleste during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina‘s shock defeat to Venezuela saddened Lionel Messi (C), March 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

It's been more than two dry decades for the two-time former World Champions as the winners of the FIFA World Cup in 1978 and 1986 have failed to win any international silverware since winning the Copa America Cup in 1993.

Incidentally, Argentina suffered the drubbing defeat in Madrid last week even though their icon following a self-imposed break lasting almost eight months.

The Barcelona forward, however, picked a groin injury and will miss his side's next international friendly against Morocco in Tangier on Tuesday.

(CGTN)