Former Real Madrid and German international midfielder Bernd Schuster has made a very controversial claim, comparing two Argentina legends, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. According to the ex-Real Madrid man, Diego Maradona would have been a better player than Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi if he was currently playing in the modern era.
Schuster played for La Liga teams including Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in addition to Real Madrid. From 1982 and 1984, during Schuster’s stint at Barcelona, Maradona and him shared a dressing room for two years.
The German international further explained why he believes Diego Maradona would have been considered a greater player than Lionel Messi in the modern era. He said:
“Back then, we played on pitches that were in terrible condition and it limited all of us, even Diego, but he was still a phenomenon. If he’d been playing today, with modern facilities and pitches, there’d be no debate about the greatest player ever.”
Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are no doubt two of the greatest ever players to ever play football. They are both equally worshiped in Argentina. Thus, it would be unfair to compare both players.
Even Diego Maradona himself praised Lionel Messi during the start of his career. He said:
“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius and he can become an even better player. His potential is limitless and I think he’s got everything it takes to become Argentina’s greatest player.”
