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Maradona: Messi Award 'a Marketing Plan' by richybanky(m): 7:45am On Jul 15, 2014
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has hit out at
FIFA's decision to award the Golden Ball accolade
for the best player of the World Cup to Lionel
Messi.
Messi, who missed a good chance as Argentina lost
1-0 to Germany in the final, was presented with the
award after the match.
The selection put him ahead of players such as
Colombia's James Rodriguez, Germany's Thomas
Muller and the Netherlands' Arjen Robben.
But Maradona said that despite four goals in
Argentina's seven matches, Messi had not been the
player of the tournament and his selection as
Golden Ball winner was "a marketing plan."
"Messi? I would give him heaven if possible," the
1986 World Cup winner told pan-Latin American TV
channel Telesur.
"But it's not right when someone wins something
that he shouldn't have won just because of some
marketing plan."
Messi said the award "means very little to me at
this moment" and added: "It is a pity not to go
home with the cup, but we go home with our heads
high. We can return calm from this World Cup.
"It's very painful to lose the way we did, because
we were near penalties.
"We had three clear chances -- mine, Gonzalo
Higuain's and Rodrigo Palacio's -- but we couldn't
get it. Now we have to move forward."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he didn't expect
Messi to receive the award.
"What do you want -- shall I tell the truth or be
diplomatic?" Blatter said. "I am going to say the
truth, I was surprised that he was chosen and
[surprised] to see him come up to get the award."

Source: m.espn.go.com/soccer/story?storyId=1949660&top&wjb=

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