Lionel Messi Defended by Argentina FA Chief Luis Segura Amid Sabbatical Rumours

Luis Segura, the president of the Argentine Football Association, has admitted that it would be a “shame” if Lionel Messi was to take a break from international football.

The Albiceleste skipper has come in for criticism in some quarters since Argentina’s loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America, sparking rumours he may be willing to take a sabbatical from the national side. But Segura hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“I don't understand why people want to argue over Messi's presence,” he said, per ESPN FC. “That is an absolute injustice. I hope he never gets tired of the criticism. It would be a shame if Messi left the national team.”

Luis Hidalgo/Associated Press

As noted in the aforementioned piece, Argentina newspaper Ole claimed the Barcelona star was considering taking a break based on a Facebook post in the aftermath of the defeat. According to AS, Messi “has been hurt by a series of personal attacks” regarding his efforts for the team.

Here’s a look at the post from the forward:

While this disappointment for Argentina is still raw and has probably been emphasised further after suffering a defeat in the World Cup final a year ago, to lay the blame at the feet of Messi would be extremely harsh.

After all, his semi-final display against Paraguay was arguably one of the finest individual efforts ever seen in this prestigious tournament, as noted here by ESPN Stats & Info:

Indeed, the Barcelona man has been one of the nation’s very best performers on their way to finals in both the World Cup and the Copa America. At the former he was named player of the tournament after some scintillating displays in the group stages, while in the recent Chile showpiece, he reportedly refused the individual accolade for the competition's best player, per beIN Sports (h/t AS).

Andre Penner/Associated Press

There are plenty who have claimed Messi needs to sample some success with the national side if he is to cement his status as one of the all-time greats. But sports journalist Rafael Hernandez doesn’t agree with that assessment:

As Argentina go another year without a major trophy—their drought is currently at 22 years—perhaps those pointing the finger of blame at their iconic skipper should be looking to a more inherent, longstanding issue in the nation’s setup.

The reported criticism that has come the way of Messi and the way of his family has been fierce, according to James Orr of the Independent. Would anyone really blame him for taking a step back? He is adored in Catalonia, after all, and as he gets older, perhaps the Barcelona star would much prefer saving his very best for those who fully appreciate his mercurial influence.