Carlos Tevez Showers Praise on Argentina Team-Mate Lionel Messi

In Carlos Tevez's words, the rumours of a long-standing row between him and Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi are just that: rumours. 

In the buildup to Argentina's Copa America opener against Paraguay, Tevez not only rubbished the rumblings, which have been previously documented by Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian, but he showered heavy praise on the Barcelona star.

"He who doesn't love Messi knows nothing about football or about life," he told Argentine newspaper Clarin (via ESPN FC).    

Tevez has been in and out of the international setup, and some, including Sam Kelly of ESPN FC, have pinned it on his apparent fractious relationship with Messi. 

The Juventus hitman said that he and Messi have laughed off the press clippings about their alleged rivalry and expanded on the issue in the Clarin interview while continually praising the otherworldly Messi: 

"

A rivalry is being created where there isn't one, and Argentine football ends up damaged, but that is what sells. 

(A story saying) 'Tevez friend of Messi' doesn't sell—'Messi an enemy of Tevez,' yes. That is what they do—they speak more of a non-friendship than the actual friendship the two of us have, no? 

With Messi we laughed at everything that was said. We know that with a look or hug we have already said thousands of things to each other. It's not necessary to say anything. 

We naturally speak to each other, like before the Champions League final. We also met up with each other after the World Cup—we greeted each other with a hug and we stayed for two hours talking about the world of football. 

I know him very well and he knows me since the beginning. I know how he goes about things and he knows how I do things. That makes us trust each other. Everything that was said was all media hype. 

You can see that it sells, but the one hurt by it is the national team. 

"

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

[Clarin, h/t ESPN FC]