Former Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made his pick between the two Argentine greats of soccer Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. Fans are not surprised that Rummenigge chose someone who is from his era. The German legend chose Maradona over Messi stating that Messi is protected by the referees in the modern game. One fan commented, “This is another stupid comparison based on a stupid point.”
After Eintracht Frankfurt was defeated 0-2 by Napoli, Rummenigge was quizzed on this debate by the reporters. “Between Maradona and Messi, I choose Diego. He was always beaten by his rivals. Leo is protected by rules and referees,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
🗣️”Between Maradona and Messi I choose Diego. He was always hammered by opponents. Leo is protected by rules and referees”
-Karl-Heinz Rummenigge pic.twitter.com/TmlDKsHre9
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) February 23, 2023
Fans believe this to be another statement just to undermine the current Argentina skipper. One fan commented, “Impossible to compare both players but he [Rummenigge] still does mental gymnastics to do so, just for the sake of it.”
Another commented, “Things were different that doesn’t mean Messi isn’t better. Messi is playing against better athletes and football is at a much faster pace”.
One fan asked to put a stop to comparing players of different times. They commented, “Stop comparing players from different eras”.
Maradona began his playing career in 1976 and went on to play for clubs such as Barcelona, Napoli, and Sevilla among other Argentine clubs. He finished his playing career in 1997 at Boca Juniors. Rummenigge, on the other hand, began his career in 1974 and played till 1989.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believed Lionel Messi was better than Diego Maradona at age 19
Messi’s signs of greatness were evident at the very beginning of his career. The Argentine received an approximately $325 million offer from Inter Milan in 2006 as stated by Joan Laporta.
“He always had offers: in 2006, [Inter former president, Massim] Moratti gave me €250million and said no, there I saw the esteem of Messi and his family for Barcelona,” Laporta revealed, as quoted by Goal.
🎙Joan Laporta, more on Messi.
🗣: “Of course, Messi always has offers from other clubs. In 2006, Moratti (former Inter Milan Chairman) offered 250 million euros and I said no, and then I got the appropriate appreciation from the Messi family.”#FCB #ElectionsFCB 🗳
— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) November 30, 2020
“His father asked me what I would do as a father and I told him, that the best thing was to stay.
“I told him that we would make a team that would accompany him to achieve the greatest successes, that would touch the glory and make history. I saw his love for the club, the city, and country.”
Laporta rejected that offer and this is what Rummenigge had to say to DPA in 2006, “Messi is one of the best players of his age that I have ever seen. Nobody was that wonderful at 19, even Pele or Maradona.”
Messi went on to win every major piece of silverware with the La Liga giants. He also won a record-breaking seven Ballons d’Or awards.