Lionel Messi has said that he is expecting to see an open game when la Albiceleste take on world champions Spain next week. The teams meet in a friendly for the second time in the space of a year, this time at El Monumental in Buenos Aires, with la Furia Roja having won the last meeting 2-1 in November 2009.
“It will be an open game between two teams that try to play well. We will try to control the ball and are equipped to do so. We must do things right with our objective being the Copa America next . We cannot look back. We have to start over and prepare for the Copa America and the upcoming play-off,” he is quoted as saying by AS before revealing that he has discussed the game with his club mates. “I have talked about this game with my Barca team-mates, who have the desire to visit Argentina, the stadium and experience how the fans here.”
Arriving in Buenos Aires for Argentina’s friendly next week against Spain, Messi told reporters that he wanted Batista to stay on in the job. The sentiment was echoed by Argentina’s other top striker Carlos Tevez, who arrived in Buenos Aires a few hours earlier.
Tevez urged Argentine football officials to quickly name a permanent replacement for Maradona, who was dropped as the national team coach after Argentina’s 4-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals. Batista was in charge in Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Ireland on Aug 11 and will be on the bench against World Cup winners Spain.
“I hope Batista remains,” Messi said. “I want things to go well.” Messi said Batista’s tactics were different from Maradona’s, but he pointed out that he also got on well with Maradona’s style of play. Maradona was widely criticised for his lack of tactical knowledge, which was evident in Germany’s resounding victory in which Argentina’s midfield and defence were exploited by Germany coach Joachim Loew. “Things went well (against Ireland),” Messi said. “I feel comfortable with his (Batista’s) approach. But don’t read anything into this, I felt OK with Diego’s style too.”
Argentine FA president Julio Grondona said last week that Batista was likely to get the full-time job unless “very large problems” emerged. The new coach is expected to be named after the AFA board meets in late October.
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