NAPLES: Lionel Messi is the “greatest” footballer of all time, ahead of even Diego Maradona, Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso said on Monday ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.

The 32-year-old Messi scored four goals at the weekend in Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Eibar and has now been involved in more than 1,000 goals in his career, scoring 696 and assisting another 306.

“He’s the greatest and an example for everyone,” said Gattuso ahead of the sides’ last-16 first leg on Tuesday.

“He never says anything inappropriate. He does things that only exist on the Plays­tation, unthinkable things. “But I saw him [Mara­dona] on VHS, or DVD. I never saw him up close, at a stadium. Today I see Messi doing things that Maradona was doing.”

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020