The coach also justified his decision to send on Gonzalo Higuaín in the second half of the Copa America final against Chile, eventually lost on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
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Messi, the forward in Spain’s Barcelona, has not said he will not be available to play the friendly game against Mexico on September 8, Xinhua quoted Gerardo “Tata” Martino, coach of Argentina’s national soccer team, as saying on Monday.
Messi was slammed by critics and some supporters following the Albiceleste’s final defeat on penalties to host nation Chile, with the Barcelona star having scored just once during the competition.
Still, Messi made the team of the Copa America and apparently rejected the prize for player of the tournament following his controversial win of the equivalent at the World Cup in Brazil.
‘I shouldn’t even respond to this type of criticism, because it’s unbelievable. It doesn’t stand up to any analysis.
“Messi is not absent from the friendly match”, Martino told Liberman Broadcasting, via Mexican daily newspaper Record.
“As an Argentinian, it would be a total disappointment if Messi wouldn’t ever play again in the national team”.
Martino had mentored Messi at Barcelona in 2013-2014 before returning to Argentina to replace Alejandro Sabella as manager for the national side.
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Messi has made 103 appearances for his country, scoring 46 goals, but the only silverware he has to show for his worldwide efforts came at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics by beating Nigeria.
